POP SONG REVIEW: "Break My Soul" vs "Falling Back"

Beyonce and Drake both release simultaneous house tracks. How could one have succeeded where the other failed?
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[@chicken6727]

You can tell a song won’t be remembered in 5 years when Todd can simply hit random keys and nobody realizes he’s just playing random keys until he points it out

[@TuesdaysArt]

I was listening to the song in the intro and went "Damn, that sounds good..."

[@sweetchocolatesecret]

@@TuesdaysArt Drake should hire Todd!!

[@timmy841212]

Exactly 😂

[@meowtherainbowx4163]

It’s amazing how regardless of Drake’s level of talent, he could get anyone to write his songs for him and perform on his records, yet he sounds so awful. He doesn’t even care enough to curate better talent.

[@Lexx1192]

I sure didn’t 😂😂😂

[@jaustin97601]

As a gay man, I thought your comparison of Taylor vs. Beyonce appealing to their gay fans was spot on. I loved Break My Soul, hated You Need To Calm Down.

[@idab9958]

As a queer woman and also a Swiftie, I second this.

[@MelMelodyWerner]

I'm generally more of a metalhead than a pophead, but I'm a queer dude and have to agree. imo, "You Need to Calm Down" is faux ally trash that centers itself on two alloromantic cishet people (and doesn't even get the "allyship" right, when it pretends that queerphobia only comes from hicks-as if there aren't queer people in the country, and as if the affluent care a shit if they see a hate crime), "BREAK MY SOUL" is a great song that gives Big Freedia a major spotlight.

[@aquaabouttogetfunky]

As a bi, same.

[@Aurelian369_]

I’m straight and You Need to Calm Down still gives me second hand embarrassment

[@Unsilence409]

I am Bi, and imma let you finish but you're entirely correct

[@robertlee2092]

You’re telling me that Drake did something flashy but empty, then immediately got bodied by a significantly more talented artist doing the exact same thing a hundred times better?

[@robertlee2092]

“The joke is Drake wants a harem” yeah that would be silly

[@DiamondAxeStudiosMusic]

Drake is basically just a brand at this point, an unspectacular yet predictable and reliable standard that people set as their default simply because it's always available. In this analogy, this dance album would be Drake's New Coke... no one was asking for a change, and within a few years it will be nothing but a memory and a punchline.

[@juhaniaho6698]

I heard rumours about Drake dropping a THIRD Scary Hours EP. Considering the previous two Scary Hours EPs had some of the hardest bangers of late-period Drake era (SP1 had God's Plan, SP2 had What's Next & Wants And Needs), Scary Hours 3 might be, let me extend the metaphor, Drake's Coke Classic.

[@philly_sports1558]

But Drake and his stans somehow believe that the haters "don't get it yet" and it's gonna reach some classic territory in a few years. Nah. This was trash at the time and it always will be. I'm a big Eminem fan and even I knew that Revival was trash immediately and didn't try to dunk on the haters. Drake stans are a whole breed of clueless.

[@AlasKenn1]

The Diet Coke, the Ubisoft Sandbox, the Store brand white bread of music, Drake.

[@smoov22_sonic]

so what’s his max headroom then

[@przemekdude]

The Marvel movie of music

[@maxresdefault_]

Break My Soul just sounds like a song you'd hear in a club, you know? It fits right into that classic house vibe perfectly

[@LP-ct9nk]

Can confirm. Was at a gay club the weekend after it dropped and it was an instant banger

[@soulmoney119]

So does Falling Back

[@_Gilles_]

Meh

[@suqadiqniwa]

That sounds like the most boringest vanilla club in the face of earth

[@optiquemusic6204]

It's good to know that House-tinged Dance Pop is far from dead. All we need now is a plethora of remixes from actual House producers.

[@ssjgara]

Renaissance has no skips. The transitions are unbelievably, crazy good. You don’t even notice when the songs change.

[@aliciaang6158]

exactly! I've listened to this album four times already, and the change from energy to break my soul still takes me a second to register

[@fredo69ism]

It’s amazing how much Beyoncé nailed the House aesthetic. Piano keys, beautiful swing, big kick, that doot synth everyone loves.

[@thefaulkness]

Definitely helps that she collaborated with people like Honey Dijon

[@fredo69ism]

@@thefaulkness bruh probably bought the whole house scene for this album. She must have ALL the resources who wouldn’t want to work with Beyoncé haha

[@thefaulkness]

@@fredo69ism looking at the credits on the songs she really did! It works so well too

[@alanajones3275]

I hate it. I don't get why so many people love it. I truly don't. I'm normally a big fan of Beyoncé's sound but this song sounds like shit to me.

[@thefaulkness]

@@alanajones3275 I understand that, it's a very different direction

[@estellemariexo]

"overwhelming straightness" is my new favourite phrase lol

[@joshentertainment2]

Drake is hella soft sussy gay

[@ddjsoyenby]

i will use it all the time.

[@twistedgambit9084]

8:08

[@thatkidwiththehoodie]

@@joshentertainment2 …what?

[@realemmcee]

there's that one quote from ... i think it's dear white people but i could be wrong ... that's like "drake's entire career is him overcompensating for the scene on degrassi when he couldn't get it up"

[@taipeijoey101]

Beyoncé is going for 90's House, Drake is doing 2010's-2020's House (produced by Black Coffee), The Weeknd (who is the elephant in this video's room) is kinda mixing 80's synthpop with 2000's House

[@SeanStrife]

Yeah, I get the feeling The Weeknd's a huge Synthwave and Vaporwave fan (especially since he's been working a lot with one of the pioneers of Vaporwave, Daniel Lopatin, from 2020 onward).

[@taipeijoey101]

@@SeanStrife Considering that OPN basically INVENTED the genre, that's a good sign

[@johnindigo5477]

Mic the snare called it a lofi house playlist with less personality

[@bjtgaming]

After the Weekend's new album dropped, I'm down for that sound, sample more City pop

[@JonMichaelDeShazer]

Nah, Drake's track is essentially "Can You Feel It" by Larry Heard. Nothing to do with Synth Pop and 2000's house: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnfYpp17rdhjaaM

[@yeszoplusfriends]

Okay, it should be stated that Honestly Nevermind was a house album as a tribute to Virgil Abloh, a highly prolific graphic and fashion designer who was friends with Drake and who passed away last year. Virgil was a huge house fan and frequently played it at DJ gigs he had. Album still isn’t good though.

[@nejdalej]

Ah that makes sense. I'd like to believe that over the 'house music is in right now' belief I had earlier x

[@malicestar13]

Oooo! Good to know! I was thinking Nirvana, but then...that doesn't make sense.

[@earhearthush-up5549]

Durk did it better

[@twistedgambit9084]

That's nice

[@shashavengesayi6055]

You had me in the first half ngl 🤣

[@FernieCanto]

Why did one song succeed and the other fail? Hm, I wonder why... Beyonce: "YOU WON'T BREAK MY SOUL! YOU WON'T BREAK MY SOUL!" Drake: [mumble mumble, whine whine, whine-autotune flick-whine, mumble mumble]

[@imanolvides3185]

Lol fax

[@thankyounextgr2672]

It’s just that simple

[@Pooky1991]

I'm not a Beyonce fan, but her voice is perfect for the House type dance music. Drake is a good singer, but he doesn't have the strongest voice for that kind of thing.

[@streamsos]

@@Pooky1991 the wretched autotune on the drake album ruined practically every song for me

[@cremetangerine82]

I can say that Big Freedia is a LGBTQ+ icon. I was introduced to her music over a decade ago, and have rarely gone to a LGBTQ+ bar that *didn’t* play one of her songs. Also, she was featured on a Drake song (“Nice for What"), another connection between Beyoncé and him!

[@witherton8340]

Isn't she regarded as the queen of "bounce"?

[@sunwukong2]

@@witherton8340 yes! New Orleans bounce wouldn't be known outside of Louisiana much without Freedia.

[@tacosavings9751]

It's funny because I don't even think of Big Freedia as a queer icon as much as a New Orleans bounce icon. That is just New Orleans to me.

[@tp6440]

@nemo pouncey not referring to a person as “it”… it would’ve been so easy for you to just not comment and move on. No one here is concerned with genitals when we’re discussing music and cultural impact.

[@Paulxl]

You made me want to listen to the Big Freedia's cover of Judas by Lady Gaga. She did it for the 10th anniversary of the "Born this way" album and it's amazing.

[@Solinaru]

This video just makes me realize that Janelle Monáe would create the perfect house club track, but hasn't since they know there's no going back from it.

[@MoonOffSpringC]

what do you mean by there's no going back from it? Also I don't think Janelle Monáe is doing music at the moment, if I remember correctly the last thing Janelle was doing was acting

[@JV4LONGONG]

Her only hit is the song she did with Fun a decade ago 💀

[@Gabe413]

@@JV4LONGONG cmon man tighrope was a hit

[@SahloFolina2161]

*shouts* WHERE IS THE ALBUM? WE NEED THE DAMN ALBUM-

[@FaerieDust]

Oh man, a Janelle house album would be so epic.

[@heymistercarter.]

You want to know the real way in which Drake’s song and album failed: I completely forgot Drake even released an album this year. Maybe it helps to prove Todd's theory from the Katy Perry TrainWreckords about the "Delayed Flop" where it's more the failure of the album before that spearheads the failure of the current one. With Drake, maybe Certified Lover Boy was the sign that things were going downhill for him and his schtick was getting old, and Honestly Nevermind is feeling the aftershocks of that.

[@mix3k818]

It still feels way too early to call Drake "fallen off", but so far everything seems to be heading in that direction

[@sim7477]

no views was the beginning of the end

[@SmokeyEdits]

I see it. I don't have anything against Drake but I don't see him being as popular in a few years. I really do think he's dropping off, which is sad, because I feel like he'd have a lot of potential if he were to explore it instead of trying desperately to make music that doesn't have his voice in it. It's a unique voice, I can see him making some really good vocal work in a variety of genres. But he just doesn't really branch out at all, and when he does, it's... well... this.

[@ktownshutdown21]

I might compare it more to with Eminem released Kamakaize unexpectedly after everyone hated Revival. ...except everyone hated the suprise album to, LOL.

[@hiimemily]

Scorpion for Trainwreckords next year? It'll probably have to wait until after the Man of the Woods episode.

[@skylerpatrick23]

This is why I love Todd so much. He'll avoid discussing new pop songs for a long period of time, skipping over MASSIVE albums from people (this case being Kendrick, Harry, Harlow, Bad Bunny, etc.), and then start a music rivalry that no one knew they needed until now

[@muticere]

I mean Beyonce could step into the place left vacant by Cher and just make catchy dance themes for the gays. There will always be a market for that and she's very over qualified to do it.

[@Nakia11798]

I would accept that.

[@MD-ow3nc]

I’m sorry but Beyoncé has way too much talent to just be the next "old gay pandering icon". Her album will pay tribute to ball room culture and the gays yes but the next album will be something completely different, she always changes her sound from album to album

[@thrownstair]

At the very least it’d be better she did that instead of just becoming a normal artist, because normal Beyoncé is just Alicia Keys, and I don’t really care for her stuff.

[@suqadiqniwa]

Nah she can't not be boring

[@chi8772]

@@MD-ow3nc exactly

[@dariusmcclain5584]

“Almost every Beyoncé song you could listen to and tell immediately you are listening to one of the most famous people alive” Which is why her being Nala in The Lion King 2019 wasn’t a great idea from pretty much every aspect except getting more butts in seats

[@whatthehellisthis]

i was watching a youtuber talk about a movie she was in (i forgot what it was called but i know it also had idris elba in it) and she was mentioning how beyonce delivers her lines like she’s about to break into song

[@dariusmcclain5584]

@@whatthehellisthis Obsessed, and I hate how much I like that movie, lol It’s essentially a big budget Lifetime movie, and it plays that role to a T

[@whatthehellisthis]

@@dariusmcclain5584 yes that was the one

[@ar-yj8lb]

@@whatthehellisthis was it kennie? She's right though, all her acting sounds like the leadup in a mv

[@whatthehellisthis]

@@ar-yj8lb yes

[@jmckenzie962]

The part where he sang the Gettysburg Address over the Drake song had me in tears. Todd's still got it after 13 years

[@SoCloseToToast]

House music has been making a huge comeback in the limelight again for the past 3 years or so. They probably saw that maybe.

[@ashblossomandjoyoussprung.9917]

I have a theory that the most popular music of each era is directly correlated to how easy it is to produce. As an example, 80s glam metal became a very dominant force in pop culture primarily because guitarists were using very simplified versions of Eddie Van Halen's shred techniques, like easy versions of his tapping runs and simple scale runs that were easier to play versions of classical scales that were more influenced by the blues scales used by Led Zeppelin.

[@browngirlinaclownworld2077]

Each decade is obsessed with the decade 30 to 25 years prior. The 80s were obsessed with the 1950s and early 1960s (see: Uptown Girl, Back to the Future, Hairspray, Stray Cat Strut, Come On Eileen), the 90s were obsessed with the late 60s and 1970s (see: Boogie Nights, Groove is in the Heart, Dazed and Confused, most Rap samples), etc. This is just a continuation of that.

[@ashblossomandjoyoussprung.9917]

@@browngirlinaclownworld2077 I have a theory on that as well. It's more-or-less that the revival movements gain traction easier in European countries due to the smaller album sales required to chart, and then that fame tends to translate to success in the US. So, the Stray Cats might have been carried to relevance by the small community of people into the genre, but once they got big hits through pandering to that community they became celebrities. So, let's say there's a small community of boomers still interested in 90s shooters. That community is large enough to get, say, Civvie 11, a KZbinr primarily focusing on 90s shooters to get his reviews of popular shooters like Quake and Postal to trend on KZbin. People will inevitably go "Wow, look at those numbers," and imitators will follow, and the community will grow because people will realize the commercial potential of the community, which will lead to a revival of 90s shooters.

[@johnindigo5477]

House subgenres have been gaining clout online since 2018. There's endless mixes online from armature channels.

[@afterdinnercreations936]

@@browngirlinaclownworld2077 Meanwhile, 90s grunge is dead as most of the frontmen. I assume because post-grunge poisoned the well and made the whole genre seem sour, whiny, and meatheaded.

[@devinq4605]

As a major electronic music fan I feel very glad he's using the correct genre name now for house instead of techno tbh.

[@gioaarons]

Beyoncé house? Yes. Drake house? Not at all

[@luke_cohen1]

Agreed, two separate but closely related genres (the musical equivalent of siblings if you will). Both originated from the Disco bust of 1979 and black house parties in Chicago and Detroit.

[@gametrashstuff2312]

Although in some ways the Drake track is more like techno than house, to be honest. Not that it makes it that much better.

[@Mr.Marbles]

i remember the time he called a goddamn trip hop track techno. cant wait to hear my favorite rave with the lofi beats to study to girl!

[@Mr.Marbles]

@@gametrashstuff2312 hmmm nah its definitely still house. singing and this kind of bassline alone are things you dont really hear in techno. but yeah its bordering on it.

[@codenamekendall2780]

There was a story some years back of someone working on a video with Beyoncé and they went to do Beyoncé’s make up…. When they got to her dressing room Beyoncé was just sitting at the vanity crying… they asked if she was ok and she responded “I’m just soooo tired” the make up artist then ask if she wanted them to leave and Beyoncé looked in the mirror, whipped her tears and said…… no….. I’m fine let’s go to work. Break my soul reminds me of that story whenever I hear it…

[@fall3nang3l125]

I think that was Mathu Anderson during the shooting of the Work it Out music video

[@saintjontel]

Beyonce is a workaholic and absolute perfectionist. She works herself to the bone every time. It's admirable but sad sometimes. Imagine always being in a competition with yourself.

[@Lexx1192]

Reminds me of the clip of her and her mom in an elevator (I think) and Beyoncé sighs as she leans back on the wall. Her mom says “tired?” And Beyoncé replies “No” and I think they both chuckle bc they know she really is 😆 No one could ever say she doesn’t work hard

[@yaboymart3237]

Oh woe is her! It must be SOOOOO hard to be worth half a million dollars and all you have to do is churn out mediocre pop music semi regularly.

[@saintjontel]

@@yaboymart3237 bless your heart.

[@cartmann94]

Drake’s “Falling Back” ended up becoming more of a crashing down to Earth. Even DJ’s are like: We’d rather play “Massive” now.

[@mix3k818]

Come to think of it, yeah. Massive is one of the high points there

[@markiearendelle3605]

Massive is literally the only song I play from it. It's just good.

[@judgesaturn507]

I like Downhill the most. That's the one which sounds closest to finished.

[@paisan8766]

Calling My Name slaps

[@Soulful96QC]

Massive and A Keeper are the best songs on the album, it bewilders me that Drake didn't make Massive the first single.

[@mightyfilm]

You're not wrong about that falsetto voice. It's even funnier than the intentionally funny falsetto voice Grover Fischoeder had when singing his "I'm Not Evil" song from the Bob's Burgers movie.

[@twistedgambit9084]

I loved that movie

[@twistedgambit9084]

15:30 ear grating

[@davidmelgar1197]

I'd argue Formation and Hold Up were definitely huge hits, but I agree Beyonce has been more of an album artist from 4 onwards, and it's largely a good thing. If "Break My Soul" gets a music video it's definitely exploding. A halfway decent remix featuring anyone of relevance and double that

[@meko98743]

Beyonce's the Will Smith of music. She's done it all, there's nothing left to do but make the kind of music she loves, and occasionally, chase awards. Well, the Will Smith of last year.

[@yobruddah8920]

I'm not sure how either of those songs were huge hits. More like decently successful. They weren't smashes or anything.

[@jbofficial32]

Sure if you think there are at least a hundred "huge hits" every year.

[@MD-ow3nc]

@@yobruddah8920 They are hits in the sense that both are extremely good songs with extremely good music videos that most people know. Everyone knows the yellow dress Bey worse. And most of people will know the chorus melody of Hold Up. They aren’t on a Crazy In Love level ofc but they are definitely well known hits.

[@yobruddah8920]

​@@MD-ow3nc Yeah. Decently successful. I didn't say they bombed or were only known to a niche crowd. They were on the level-ish as 'My Future' by Billie Eilish or 'Cardigan' by Taylor Swift. Most people were aware of them at the time and a good amount of people liked them (at least enough to debut in the top ten if not make it to the year-end list) and their fame wasn't at all nothing. Most up-and-coming artists would kill to have a song that big. But you know what he means by hit when he mentions his fence sitting. He very much means the 'Crazy in Love,' 'Irreplaceable,' 'Halo' stuff, which she hasn't had on her own since, arguably, Sasha Fierce. He's not wrong. Which to be clear isn't a bad thing. Kind of Todd's point is that Bey doesn't really care about getting hits like that anymore. If she wanted to she probably could make a 'Levitating' or a 'Save You Tears' and chase another 'Independent Women'-sized hit but she's not really into doing that.

[@JoshuaFagan]

I think it goes back to the two categories of pop stars Todd talks about. People listen to Beyonce because they love Beyonce and respect her as an artist. People listen to Drake because they think his music is catchy. When they fall out of love with the music, people will ignore Drake, just as is happening now.

[@shinyskunk]

I dunno, Drake stans go pretty fucking hard. I suspect even when he's not debuting at #1 with every new project anymore, there'll still be a big contingent of people that care about what he's doing.

[@iammatthewdavid03]

A Vs Pop Song Review from Todd in the Shadows? That’s something that I have never seen in a long time. And it goes without saying, the Beyoncé song is waaaaaaaaay better than whatever Drake song is.

[@person.w9780]

That one song is better than Drake's entire album.

[@iammatthewdavid03]

@@person.w9780 for sure lol. I don’t even remember anything from that new Drake album. I miss when Drake made consistently good music

[@person.w9780]

@@iammatthewdavid03 The only good song off the album was jimmy cooks. And not because it wasn't house music.

[@user-uv2cp1qd1j]

I respectfully disagree. Drake’s feels a lot more upbeat which works to his benefit for, basically a dance song

[@SurgingSpecs]

Last VS pop review he uploaded was hello/hotline bling, tho it was (re?)uploaded in 2019 while both songs are from 2015. Other than that, Better Now vs Lucid Dreams in 2018

[@baumhauser]

Me, 2021: "I'm not exactly hip to the modern pop charts, just a nerdy thirtysomething who mostly listens to niche genres no one cares about anymore; like cheesy house music from the early 1990s and weird goth rock by artists like Kate Bush." Pop charts, 2022:

[@ibn1989]

good for you

[@PineappleLiar]

Me, 2021: ""Dang, Hounds of Love is an amazing album! You could honestly release it right now and it would fit right in with other solo songwriter albums." Pop charts, 2022:

[@me45116]

What could be better than Todd hating on Drake? Todd loving Beyoncé of course

[@aaccrr78]

I actually love that Beyoncé’s career went into the direction of being an album artist now because she doesn’t really need hit singles anymore, she has plenty already and so it gives her a chance to really craft every album she releases and ensure the flow and production are flawless. As a long time fan I can easily say I enjoy her last few albums so much more because it’s genuinely an experience listening to her records while at the same time the tracks hold up on their own too if you’re not listening to the entire album at once. I also feel like most artists can easily make a hit single at least once in their career but it takes an exceptional artist to put out an entire record that slaps from beginning to end. I’ve always hated when I love a single so I listen to the rest of the album and it turned out to be the only good track on the entire album. Artists like Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Taylor swift … don’t have the usual album cycles, they have entire eras of work.

[@anonymoususer2756]

Drake the type of guy to wake you up to tell you he’s going to sleep

[@dessam3939]

If Ska makes a comeback, I may literally blow out my whole body skanking and trumpet playing

[@MrLurchMedia]

*(Goldfinger starts playing)*

[@elfpi55-bigB0O85]

New streetlight manifesto album sometime soon

[@proevofan]

@Perverted Alchemist I like Save Ferris version of Come On Eileen

[@filthyfrancis]

hell yeah man

[@dessam3939]

@@elfpi55-bigB0O85 Dude I’m so excited I can’t wait

[@Per_Curiam]

Big Freedia is one of, if not THE big names in New Orleans Bounce, so yes it is fair to call her an icon.

[@isaacthered]

As someone who is really into electronic music, I have a slightly different theory on what exactly Drake was trying to do. Around the second half of 2000, the electronic fandom split into two warring factions. Trance music had been pretty rapidly gaining popularity since 1997, and it seemed inevitable that it was going to become the dominant subgenre of electronic soon. Because of that, all of the labels that had been desperately trying to crowbar house into mainstream music started switching over to trance, and with that came the likes of Alice Deejay, DJ Sammy, and Amber. While the amount of success these labels had in making popstars was similarly lacking, they got newfound success in getting the trance community as a whole to accept the attempted pop crossovers as a worthwhile part of the genre, whereas other genre communities had rejected those attempting mainstream success as soulless industry plants. As trance grew in popularity, house DJs began to grow concerned that trance's willingness to incorporate label-mandated sounds into the genre would cause the industry as a whole to start pushing the more unique aspects out of every subgenre in the pursuit of pop appeal. As DJs like Danny Tenaglia started advocating that those who make other grnres start actively resisting the spread of trance music lest they be assimilated, a new subgenre called dark progressive house began to gain popularity in anti-trance circles. Dark progressive house, as a genre, was designed with the goal of being as different from trance music as possible. Trance was built around a single melody, had high-energy synths, and an optimistic mood, so dark progressive house had muted synths, almost completely abandoned melody as a concept, and developed a very pessimistic sound. It became one of the most anti-commercial movements in music history, to the point where even having lyrics in your song was considered a sellout move. By design, the genre never managed to have anything even resembling a hit from its inception in 2000 until its death alongside trance in 2005. And, this, for some reason, is the genre that Drake, the biggest popstar in the world, decided to emulate for his dance album. It took me a while to figure out why Drake tried to make an album like this, but I think I have an answer. Drake has to know that he's starting to lose favor with the public. By CLB, a consensus was beginning to form that he was mindlessly rehashing his older successes while having nothing left to say, and it seemed that people were only still listening out of a sense of obligation. So, if your career is dying of overcommercialization, it makes sense to go in the complete opposite direction. The problem is, Drake doesn't know how to write anything that isn't a pop song. What went wrong becomes clear if you compare it to the John Debo and Steve Porter remix of the song Marscarter, which I think is the ideal version of the sound Drake was going for. First of all, the genre literally has progressive in the name, but Massive and Ties That Bind seem to be the only songs that noticed that. The mastering is so flat and the synths have so little thought put into them that instead of sounding sparse, the songs just sound empty. Drake also seems to have confused electronica's lower standards for lyrical quality for a free pass to make his vocals sound low-effort, when that lower standard really exists to maximize how good the vocals actually sound. While I did not particularly like Break My Soul, if you compare it to the idealized version of its sound (the Boys Own remix of Perfect Motion), you can tell Beyoncé at least knows what genre she's supposed to be making and what it needs to sound good, while Drake clearly doesn't.

[@gdragon42069]

w comment (and as a wannabe producer who loves sad synths/dark prog this was also super helpful)

[@giascle]

This generally seems to check out but I ain't never heard of dark progressive house

[@Copperhell144]

@@giascle Which checks out with the given story of how it was a genre that was almost hand-made to be as underground as possible

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

This was fun. Sincerely. I didn’t realize how heavy everything felt today & I sucked up your comment like it was a root beer float in a heat wave. Thanks, ‘ta!

[@Genevieve1023]

I love a good social media comment essay. Most of them are stupid people saying a lot of words trying to sound smart. But, the good ones, from people who actually have something to say, are fantastic.

[@fizzychizzy]

I am here to say, after the release of the Beyoncé album that, no, she didn't turn into a regular person. She is still a larger than life figure. But the album is REALLY GOOD. She throws back to past dance music genres including house, disco, funk, whatever Prince was doing in the 80s, 80s hip hop, etc. And she looked at current dance genres like afrobeats, trap, hyperpop, and dancehall. I feel like the difference between the two is one was done with a lot of effort and forethought and the other was done out of boredom and on a whim. And we should have expected it. Whether you like or dislike Beyoncé, it is hard to deny that she is hardworking and focuses on the details. That may rub people the wrong way. But I would rather hear a singer sing than hear a rapper than has never taken any singing lessons sing. The effort/ennui is what set the singles apart and what has set the albums apart.

[@booboosnack]

Perhaps "Break My Soul" can also serve as a reclamation of the anonymity that was Black women in house music, especially on a commercial scale as the vocalist of the song (Beyonce) is quite easily the most recognizable Black woman in the world. However, I do hope that song also leads people to giving credit to its predecessors where it's rightly due.

[@IsaacMayerCreativeWorks]

Fun fact most people are lucky never to know: the Jewish papers were all so fucking excited that Drake’s newest video featured “a Jewish wedding.” Meanwhile polygamy has been forbidden in Judaism since Rabbeinu Gershom’s takkanah over a thousand years ago, and in any case nothing about the wedding in the video was Jewish in any realistic way (no ketubah reading, no sheva berakhot etc) so it ended up being less of a Jewish wedding and more of a cartoon of a Jewish wedding drawn by a non-Jew who was also low-key an antisemite. I’m thankful that the song bombed for that reason alone tbh

[@ashblossomandjoyoussprung.9917]

So, uh, was that the joke? That Drake is having a polygamist Jewish wedding when polygamy is forbidden in Judaism?

[@susan_beaver]

Just a random shiksa here but definitely was WTFing at the bizarre caricature of a Rabbi with a wedding that was clearly not Jewish. I got distracted by everything else that was wrong, but it was blatant!

[@monicacarrilllo]

What has he done that is low-key anitsemitic?

[@haruki456]

I thought Drake was jewish. The video is still in poor taste.

[@keyscored3710]

isn't drake half jewish?

[@drakedavis3187]

Break My Soul sounds like a dance club remix without being a remix at all. It's pretty fascinating to me she was able to pull that off and put that out into the mainstream.

[@juniorthethird08]

After listening to “Honesty, Nevermind” a few times, I don’t understand how “Falling Back” was the first single.

[@isaacwilliams398]

Agreed

[@coreyshapiro2440]

That's because it isn't. "Massive" is the real pop single.

[@romaretaylor9953]

@@coreyshapiro2440 and that’s a jam. He should’ve did a video for texts go green first falling back is ass

[@streamsos]

It's so telling that Jimmy Cooks is the most popular song, just shows that no one wants to hear this garbage from drake and he should stick to rap

[@romaretaylor9953]

@@streamsos explain one dance, controlla and passionfruit being some of his biggest records worldwide. His diversity may not always be executed well but it’s still always been part of who he is

[@DoctorandtheDoll]

Todd not playing the actual "Falling Back" in the intro was brilliant. I mean, did ANYONE notice??

[@SubStation752]

Beyonce's was far better, Drake's song was too repetitive, the falsetto was absolutely horrible and the beat was far too minimalist to hide that

[@pizzamonies793]

Someone pointed out, during financial recessions, dance/happy music trends it's highest. Post-2008 saw Lady Gaga, LMFAO, BEPs, Katy Perry, Keshia, Pitbull, etc. All do massive numbers. I think we'll see way more positive/dance tracks for the next few years as the economy declines...🤭😮‍💨

[@longlivebeans]

With Beyoncé, you just feel it. You feel the genuine love & effort she’s bringing to house music. There’s something real there. Drake could never lol.

[@sophiamoore8011]

break my soul feels like it’s coming from such an authentic place of appreciation for what house music is. honestly nevermind is a dance album that doesn’t experiment or cement itself in the genre bc it doesn’t have anything relevant to say. break my soul sounds like it has research and collaboration behind it. the renaissance credits came out yesterday and there are house legends that she has interpolated, featured or sampled on this project. honestly nevermind sounds like drake listened to half a house song and asked 40 to make them something that wouldn’t get them copyright striked.

[@thesensiblesocialist]

The reason why Queen B is loved by so many 30s-40s gay men is because we can tell she grew up listening to a lot of the same music we did.

I don't think I've ever hear an entire Drake song, not even the meme one. I'm always caught by surprise whenever people say how huge he is in music history.

[@therandomname69420]

That's on you, God's Plan, One Dance, Hotline Bling, In My Feelings, Started From The Bottom and many others were huge.

[@emilandersen2195]

@@therandomname69420 Huge, yes. But so boring that you won't ever reach the end of any of them.

[@timmy841212]

He has had several great songs in the past.

[@Genevieve1023]

You've heard them. But they were so nondescript that your brain didn't register them at all. They were background noise.

[@ashblossomandjoyoussprung.9917]

Part of it is that he's apparently, somehow, hugely popular in Britain, with stuff like One Dance apparently being notorious for how overplayed it was.

[@TuesdaysArt]

I was JUST thinking the other night that Drake feels more like an R&B artist at times than a rapper. The songs of his that immediately come to mind wouldn't be too out of character for Jason Derulo or Usher to cover. This might be a spicy take, but Drake is basically Maroon 5 if Maroon 5 appealed to anyone who isn't a middle aged white woman nowadays. Moody man singing about being in a bad relationship but the sex is soooo good. Edit: Got 15 minutes in and I guess "bad falsetto" is another thing they have in common now.

[@larissabrglum3856]

He's also similar to Maroon 5 in how he's stagnated and basically exists as a brand at this point. Not to the same degree, mind you, but I see some similarities.

[@TuesdaysArt]

@@larissabrglum3856 That's true-I don't follow Drake as closely as Maroon 5 (I'm a fan of their first four albums and they put the nail in their grave with "Red Pill Blues"), but Drake seems to be the subject of criticism these days. My brother's tweet about Drake making Wii menu music made it into a Keemstar video.

[@naialain9731]

Drake's Image is also not helped by most of gen-z genuinely hating him. At least on tiktok and twitter drake has garnered an awful reputation and most of what I've seen people consider him to be a predator.

[@KariIzumi1]

And not for good reason. His pretty sus "friendship" with Millie Bobbie Brown has been well reported on but he's had another girlfriend in the past that he "just happened" to start dating three weeks after turning 18. If he gets R Kelly'd in ten years, I won't be surprised.

[@naialain9731]

@@KariIzumi1 I wouldn't be surprised at all, he also said some pretty weird stuff about billie eilish when she was like 16

[@romaretaylor9953]

@@naialain9731 All Billie said was That they’ve texted about music and stuff .The fact that she was 17 at the time made people immediately assume the worst like he was tryna fuck. Even tho she also said other artists like Travis Scott, kid cudi, Adam Levine and someone else all Did the same thing and yet they didn’t get any side eyes whatsoever. What did he say about her?…

[@campfortson4387]

I'm late millenial (1999), and I didnt know about Drakes predator allegations and I dont care. All I know is I've always kind of disliked him and thought he had a nauseating mediocre douche aura and music to match. I dont mean that personally though.

[@vinnyfromvenus8188]

@@campfortson4387 sorry to break it to you but you're gen z my dood

[@toriagalaxy1566]

I'm a sucker for a good throwback too...and Break My Soul is soooooo good, it just hit so right. I was jawed and loving it from the first moment. Good to see you Todd! Thanks for the video! ✌

[@SeanStrife]

Yeah, you can FEEL the 90's House dripping from the Beyonce track, and I am here for it.

[@vivienross2530]

Big Freedia is a major icon! My cynical side won't stop screaming "Pride month cash grab!" every time I hear Break My Soul, but I don't want to be a fun-hater. But stillll... as Bob The Drag Queen says, "you'll know you really made it when they offer you a job any month other than June."

[@T0xXx1k]

That's one of the best things I've ever heard. I love it 🧡🦇

[@ryebread8685]

I struggle to call Falling Back a single. Yeah it got a music video, but Sticky and Massive are the ones being promoted to radio

[@ryebread8685]

To be fair, neither of those songs are doing so hot either

[@trentc2018]

Massive definitely has some great moments but that last minute definitely overstays it’s welcome lol. I’ve enjoyed Flight’s Booked a lot though!

[@notsojharedtroll23]

@@trentc2018 flight's booked isnda shit bro

[@lydiavalentino]

@@ryebread8685 Jimmy Cooks is getting pushed now, they've figured out what the fans *want* to be the single.

[@Dana-hc3lg]

I hadn't heard Falling Back before this video, but when Todd was playing that intro, I thought, yep, that's 120% a Drake song, I could tell even without vocals. So Todd revealing that he was completely riffing it is so funny to me because that just shows how predictible Drake's sound is (and also how good Todd is at impersonating his sound, like damn)

[@amyvillanueva3442]

I want to hear more of that "Break My Soul" piano cover Todd played.

[@MissAlmostFine]

Beyoncé and Drake are doing very different styles of House here. Bey's being more rooted in 90s House and Drake's being more South African House with production by Black Coffee. Drake would've benefited from singing less and getting actual vocalists to help bring some dimension to the album. One other thing: Beyoncé has a bit more experience with House music than ppl think. As a member of Destiny's Child they often recorded House music versions of their hit songs (remember DC debuted in 1997, she's been doing this for a while).

[@chi8772]

Exactly

[@TheRoadrunnerFromHell]

I legit thought when I saw the brides in the "Falling Back" MV it would be about Drake's fears his marruage wouldn't last and he'd be off to another marriage and repeat again and again. Not a minute later and I was wrong.

[@Schlagageul]

This actually sounds like it could be interesting

[@inugamidalton8270]

I was JUST thinking that it had been a while since Todd put out a pop song review. I figured it was just the charts being barren again.

[@royalninja2823]

To be fair, they totally are. Nothing new this year really stuck until Harry Styles' As It Was. How the fuck is Heat Waves still in the top 10?

[@technounionrepresentative4274]

Well the charts are pretty barren

[@captainayaaya28]

Wish he would of done it on Joji since there wasn’t really much to talk about with Drake or Beyoncé.

[@kenzood5290]

@@captainayaaya28 no i don't think there'd be much to say about joji, bey/drake were for sure the right calls

[@nykcarnsew2238]

He said on Twitter the other day he was starting to feel overwhelmed by KZbin

[@user-nd7ts7bp6g]

The idea for Falling Back video feels like it was an idea meant for a CLB song, it would’ve fit with the album art. Why he didn’t do it then is a mystery, I assume it was either COVID related, or because no song it’d fit became big on streaming. Though it doesn’t fit much with Falling Back either

[@lydiavalentino]

There just isn't really a joke to it - but there's probably a way to make the concept work somehow. Maybe have the models get hitched to some of Drake's famous friends, have his mother marry Lionel Richie (there's a line in his leaked Usher collab "Slow Motion" about how he wants to set her up with "someone rich and single...is Lionel Richie single?"), have the guest rapper be the best man...but alas this is what we get

[@chi8772]

Exactly

[@jsimon]

He buried the lead in the story. Check the charts position for Drake. He's being outdone by Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill", a song that's 37 YEARS OLD!!!

[@jbofficial32]

So is literally every song in the world right now

[@Timothy-sy1fw]

That’s one of the biggest songs in the world right now. Not as damning as you think

[@therandomname69420]

@@Timothy-sy1fw It's also 10¹⁰⁰ times better.

[@joshentertainment2]

Because it is better

[@ddjsoyenby]

yup though to be fair it still slaps.

[@Ronin11111111]

Even though I'm a complete philistine when it comes to music, american pop especially, but my immediate reaction to Falling Back was insta-snooze and Brake My Soul was immediate "OH YEAH THIS IS MY SHIT!"

[@faultycow8307]

Todd not being sure about Big Freedia being an icon was some overwhelming str8ness.

[@wfbgenius]

I thought it was just him being unwilling to call her an icon in case his terrible predictive skills jinxed Big Freedia.

[@wubwub7230]

Excellent point about the relative anonymity of house artists. Nerdy tangent: old episodes of Top of the Pops are regularly shown in the UK, and a while back they were on the very early 90s and the house artists, although making incredibly catchy music at times, often had zero stage presence. That era was a bit of a low for the programme, and that was a reason why (at least in part - there were also awkward reshuffles and revamps, and a generally naff reputation). In that respect, the rise of Britpop was something of a godsend for them, with acts who had true personality and star power

[@DragonslayerProd]

I loved that ouija board sketch. I wish you did more silly skits like that.

[@G.E.Adelade]

How has he not done glimpses of us by the guy who did the Harlem shake dance

[@josephhinz6256]

One: it’s kinda a weird song to do and not easy to contextualize. Two: he hasn’t really done Pop Song Reviews on his favorites so maybe he loves it :)

[@bengimelfarb5384]

car seat pfp

[@captainayaaya28]

I hope it’s on his best list. Then again is there 10 songs good enough to make a best list in 2022? Or even a worst list? It feels like we haven’t been getting any new hits

[@hiimemily]

"BREAK MY SOUL" is now the biggest song in America, according to Billboard. Drake also got a #1 hit from this album cycle, but it sure as shit wasn't "Falling Back".

[@ursa8772]

It’s crazy to think of how Todd used to talk about Beyoncé back when he started out vs. now. That’s some evolution.

[@ruminationstation4200]

To be fair, her career evolved a lot too.

[@Gingerm0nster]

Because she improved so much, and Todd improved so much as an articulate critic

[@Hegder]

In the intervening years it became illegal to say anything bad about her.

[@salb5610]

@@Hegder nope, her talent is just undeniable now

[@Hegder]

@@salb5610 kinda made my point for me.

[@tylerhackner9731]

Beyoncé blows everyone out of the water when she releases something imo. And I’m not even the biggest Beyoncé fan

[@riverAmazonNZ]

Even if it’s not my taste, she clearly has high standards

[@birchwwolf]

Drake's house forays on More Life and this album came from kwaito, a South African genre which can accurately be described as "house for straight men." It's dripping with cisgender Christian woes. It makes sense why he would latch onto that sound rather than deep house from Detroit.

[@MissAlmostFine]

Yup. He also took some cues from South African House music having producer Black Coffee work on this album as well.

[@lydiavalentino]

@@MissAlmostFine Black Coffee was also on More Life - "Get It Together" was a straight-up cover of "Superman"

[@maxpowr90]

Given how few pop reviews Todd has done this year, you can tell the best/worst lists for 2022 are gonna be rough. Been a mostly unremarkable year for 2022.

[@themodereviews3182]

As a European, it feels weird to hear you say that house music is going to have a comeback for it has been HUGE here for the past 10 years.

[@user-uv2cp1qd1j]

ik, America is quite out of touch with dance music

[@technounionrepresentative4274]

@@user-uv2cp1qd1j that's because America got really depressed and low key for about four years

[@gee159]

I feel this, when I first heard the Beyoncé song I didn’t realise it was her and did just think she was one of those anonymous singers like Todd mentioned. Or another Ella Henderson//Mabel/Anne-Marie/Louisa Johnson track (those are maybe very UK specific singers but they all get a lot of radio play and I find it hard to tell them apart)

[@SeanStrife]

Sometimes, it takes us a while to catch up.

[@coreyshapiro2440]

Has house music ever not been huge in Europe?

[@sonofaspyder3000]

I hadn’t even heard of Falling Back until this video. I think that says enough about it

[@HeatWill]

Same. Admittedly I don't keep up with pop music very well, but I'd at least seen Break My Soul getting radio play when I'm in the car. I didn't even realize Drake had released anything.

[@captainayaaya28]

Same And when I did I was so put of by Drake’s falsetto

[@kevinmilhim646]

I'm pretty sure this is just me, but as someone who hasn't listened to either of these songs before watching this review, the first thing that I noticed about Break My Soul is that, for some reason, it reminded me of Rather Be by Clean Bandit

[@prettychords]

I slightly hear it

[@Ma5jay5dontxdoxthat]

I only hear it because of the one instrument. It's not really played the same but the sound is there.

[@kevinmilhim646]

Watching this video again, Break My Soul also kind of sounds like Tequila by Dan+Shay. I think my ears are malfunctioning.

[@mrkd2k10]

It sounds like pretty much every house track that was big in the UK charts between 2013 and 2015

[@ahoy1014]

Honestly, ska is currently in a pretty good position. Lots of variety, nice local and global scenes, I don't think it going mainstream again would actually do it that much good.

[@TheSkaOreo]

We’re in a 4th wave, baby!!!

[@kissconsider]

Yea, at best they'll be a ska hit from an established local band thats a bit of a fluke indie hit inbetween the big hits that todd will, of course, not review until its already fallen off the charts by the next Bieber or Ariana or something

[@ForestGreenSharpie]

skatune network got an album on the charts based off of his popularity so a semi popular scene like midwest emo where its just below the surface is a real possibility

[@galleryofrogues]

It barely ever was mainstream even in the 90’s. I like it as an underground thing, that’s part of the magic.

[@pickles224]

The Interrupters are dropping their fourth album soon. Let’s see that chart success!

[@theblurjay2986]

“Beyoncé’s gonna go back to being Beyonce after this album drops” HAH nope she just went full Dolly Parton 😂

[@NintendoAddictNAD]

5:15 Actually, that's called a Séayonce

[@bethanymcmurtrey9542]

Todd, thank you so much for your brilliant timing. I've been fired from a job, gotten the news a family member died, and now, I'm being kicked out of an apartment by a bigoted roommate, and you've been there with a new video to make things a little bit brighter.

[@AxolotlCult3144]

Holy shit dude, hope you’re doing ok (or as ok as you can be)

[@bethanymcmurtrey9542]

Two the Hard Way came out right after losing my job and Return of the Mack when my aunt passed away. I'm ok as anyone else.

[@cabbagesprinkles7322]

I’m sorry man. I hope things get better for you

[@m1chikatsu]

my only gripe with break my soul is that show me love has been sampled sooo many times its boring to me atp when i hear it sampled, theres so many great house tracks to sample and im hoping for some fresher stuff on her album but im still super excited for it!! also i highly reccomend wax motifs honestly nevermind remixes (esp massive which imo was already pretty good) they give exactly what drake thought he was giving💀

[@tariqthomas9090]

Honestly if it wasn’t for the Big Freedia sample, the song would be a pretty boring rip-off of Show Me Love. But Bey’s vocals and Big Freedia yelling “RELEASE YA JOB” makes the song pretty freaking fun.

[@m1chikatsu]

@@tariqthomas9090 ur so right that did help a lot

[@creolito9600]

@@tariqthomas9090 it’s the yakakakaka or whatever that big fredia does at the beginning of the song that I love, it really elevates the song

[@chi8772]

Actually break my soul doesn’t exactly sample show me love. It interpolates it. That’s why they don’t sound exactly alike. It’s not a direct sample

[@AxolotlCult3144]

Always a good day when Todd drops a new vid :)

[@spritenoicy1676]

Ain’t that the truth !

[@chaseywoot]

17:14 "and lets be real, Beyoncé's not gonna be making much music while "working 9 to 5" I mean he got the dolly parton part right...

[@Lemanic89]

As an occasional Deep House producer, I think Drake’s Sade-drenched Sophisto-Rap wanted some of that old Larry Heard revival money that the UK EDM scene seem to produce right now at the heels of Disclosure but also the 2010s Outsider House scene. Drake is a known UK-phile, so trying to get on that is beyond plausible.

[@phastinemoon]

I feel it’s very important to say that, because Todd did this review, I had to immediately check out Beyoncé’s song, and fell in love with it. And then, because of that, I had to add it to my playlist for a fanfic project (yes, yes - I know) and then went down a rabbit hole trying to research what other house music and music from the Harlem Ballrooms might have influenced this song, and that lead me to a whole playlist of a BUNCH of music that was some artists or songs I recognized (George Michael was on there more than once) but the biggest one was KSFM’s “Love is the Message” (the 12” album version) and it is now a formative song for me, I REALLY love it. So, Todd - thank you. I credit you for all the cool, weird things I found, and are also on that fanfic playlist now, it has changed so much!

[@SlaserX]

I love that the sounds of Korg's M1 is coming back. May it be a House Summer

[@SeanStrife]

I, for one, welcome the 90's House Renaissance.

[@YearsOfLeadPoisoning]

The M1 is the next DX7. Why can’t we be making Yamaha PSRs unaffordable …

[@emilyjane7027]

It's been so weird hearing everyone saying these records are signalling a new house revival in pop music because... Did we not already have the house revival wave like 8 years ago? Or was that whole post-Disclosure gold-rush strictly a UK thing?

[@MissAlmostFine]

It was a UK thing. 8 years ago the US was rebelling against the previous 5 years of EDM music being popular. Trap music was gaining it's foothold and tempos were slowing. Also the UK buying public has always had a more consistent love for House music while the US cycles it in and out.

[@morganqorishchi8181]

It was a UK thing, but also, I think musical genres can be revived more than once? I'm not a music historian but it seems possible, especially given we're in an era where there's a lot of nostalgia for the 90's.

[@bean3550]

If you listen to Renaissance as an album it's a lot more clear that a lot of the songs (this one included) are an homage to ball culture. One of the songs samples Miss Honey it really isn't subtle. So the idea of "My job is horrible and life is hard but I'm gonna be glamorous and amazing and you can't keep me down," like another comment said that's really reflective of the appeal of the ball

[@arbitrarygreay]

If I heard that falsetto on the radio I would have said it was Charlie Puth. And that just about sums up my feelings about both Drake and Puth.

[@devlinburgess2463]

I'd kinda like Beyonce to keep up this direction too. I've never exactly disliked her or anything, but her whole "Queen Bee" thing always kinda pushed me away and made me focus on the songs from her I didn't like. But this one's actually pretty good. Not my favorite, but deserving of some praise. Though that good feeling might partially be because I just cannot stand Drake. He's another artist I've never particularly enjoyed, but while Beyonce was never hateable or anything, Drake most certainly has become so by now. I just wish he'd go away.

[@Nakia11798]

Yeah, I haven't liked a single Beyonce song since like 2010, so maybe this is a positive change for me???

[@taylorwilliams4847]

@@Nakia11798 not 1 is kinda insane lol

[@imanolvides3185]

@@Nakia11798 her lemonade album from 2016 is good. I recommend it 🍋

[@ideitbawxproductions1880]

Maybe I'm the wrong person to comment(I'm more of a metal fan, but I don't hate hip-hop), but I could never understand what people saw in Drake. His lyrics don't matter, his beats are boring, and he's not even that great of a rapper... but people just ate that shit up, and I can't think of a good reason why. But like I said, this isn't really my genre, so it's possible that I'm missing something that everyone else craves. Whatever, if I feel like listening to hip-hop, I'll probably throw on some Kendrick Lamar. Until then, I'll just go back to listening to Spiritbox

[@imanolvides3185]

@@ideitbawxproductions1880 i dont listen to drake that often, but i think its because hes more like background noise than actual art. U could play drake to go to sleep or while ur studying. But yeah i understand what u mean. Its not ur type of music and theres nothing wrong with that 🤷‍♂️

[@yael9997]

Update: she dropped the album and it’s amazing

[@corbinmarkey466]

Oh wow, a Pop Song Review, that thing that made me subscribe. Honestly, One Hit Wonderland and Trainwreckords are enough to hold me over, so it's always a pleasant surprise when something popular is enough for Todd to make a video for.

[@brifox]

I’m surprised nobody else has pointed this out… the Drake single sounds like someone trying to parody The Weeknd.

[@domeatown]

Break my soul came out at a time when I needed it. It takes hurt and instead of being sarcastic or sad or bitter or mean it just shouts "YOU CAN HURT ME BUT YOU WON'T BREAK ME" which after the pandemic isn't really a thing in the songs anymore So it gave me some wind bc I could think about things a new way just for a bit Drake could never

[@AzLolFun]

Is Todd really gonna act like "Formation", "Sorry" and "Ape Shit" haven't been hits the last 6 years or so? Yes she's more of an alum artist and takes her time like she deserves but she absolutely has been having hits in recent years

[@vulbvibe]

They aren’t considered “singles” like Break My Soul is

[@ClikcerProductions]

None of those were big hits, Formation did okay on the radio but outside of popheads and Beyonce stans they just had no sticking power, they did well for her, but they were by no means big hits

[@morganqorishchi8181]

He mentioned Formation by name, but don't let facts stop you I guess.

[@nv52895]

good to see you're still doing these double pop song reviews. however, i wanted to see you review first class by jack harlow and big energy by latto since they're both toping the summer charts yet i feel them unappealing. big energy pretty much gives me the all summer long by kid rock vibes but in a bad way and first class gives me the ice ice baby vibes, gimmicky and morbid.

[@Frosting1000]

What do you mean by morbid? Not critiquing or anything, I’m just curious

[@nv52895]

@@Frosting1000 well i just wanted to say another word than corny or cringey since i think those words have been overused for years but yeah i think it's pretty corny at times just like how ice ice baby was in the early 90s.

[@Frosting1000]

@@nv52895 oh yeah that makes a lot of sense

[@lukesguywalker]

Agree, both songs are kinda exhausting to me. If h had to choose I'd say Big Energy is more tolerable, but something about both songs just feel like they're desperately hoping the sample will carry them

[@gracezb1]

house music also trended during the great recession, so i’m not surprised because we are heading there again

[@lennyloves4518]

What I absolutely loved about ‘90s House music is that it wasn’t made by major pop stars, but by the more obscure artists. That was the coolness of it.

[@hyathumibis5187]

Not necessarily an "obscure artist" but maybe you'll like this years TILT by Confidence Man.

[@lennyloves4518]

@@hyathumibis5187 checked it out! It’s pretty good. Thank you!

[@SRLovesPandas1]

as a Chicagoan, I’m always happy to see house music get a resurgence. Beyoncé’s song is def the better one of the two.

[@Numptaloid]

it's about DAMN TIME you've done another one of these!

[@mananwashere]

Time has been so hard to track as of late. Spending a ridiculous amount of time at home and then sudden changes in life. Watching one Todd in the shadows video every couple of months helps keep track of life and time. Thanks Todd

[@Avenger131]

It' feels like it's been a while since we had a Pop Review, and this one was great. Your writing was on point

[@jamesmason7979]

Drake realized that he'd succeed regardless of whether he tried. Once he realized that he stopped trying.

[@lordofgiovanni]

Two Sentence Horror Stories

[@gut853]

spot on

[@arseeoliveira6934]

Bcause his fans are stuck to him. They eat every faeces he drops, and when ppl criticize it they defend it with all types of excuses like "you don't get it" as if there was to much complexity in his boring and blend content

[@cinemablessed1234]

It’s strange watching this video now knowing Drake has writing credits on Beyoncé new album

[@Arphenya]

Really like your work! This one was a delicious lil vid, perfect to end my workday, thank you

[@itsHavvik]

9:15 - My guess is he is simply attempting to ride the Weeknd's sound on "Dawn FM" the same way he did "House of Balloons" for "Take Care", but this time Abel doesn't need him anymore.