POP SONG REVIEW: "Closer" by The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey

Hey, who took my mattress?

[@3liony]

I miss 2016 being the worst year in history...

[@slamwall9057]

It never was

[@JP-ve7or]

Right? This video started auto playing and I had to look and see which terrible time this was.

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

@@slamwall9057 it used to be then 2020 came and took its spot

[@slamwall9057]

@@kittykittybangbang9367 not even 2020 is the worst year in history when 536 existed

[@delia_watercolors]

Turn on your radio. Most pop 100s still have these songs on rotation. (Unless your streaming and have control over what you listen to. In which case I can see how you miss it).

[@dominicmilani4637]

It's that beat. That stupid stupid beat. It wears you down, loves itself in your subconscious like some sort of bizarre Stockholm Syndrome.

[@BloodfelX]

There's a beat? I didn't notice. :x

[@TackyRackyComixNEO]

Dominic Milani The beat is the most uninteresting part of the song though.

[@mathieuleader8601]

A Mongolian Death Earworm

[@user-fn5ts4jf4f]

Dominic Milani ikr

[@johna6108]

And still one of my most played songs this year...

[@AGEuro]

So that's where my mattress went

[@atomicdancer]

We are the new Americana Raised on will .i. am and Blink-182

[@nicholasgallagher3406]

atomicdancer More appropriately, "We are the New Americana / Raised on Kanye and Rihanna"

[@megatennepster3833]

We are the new Americana Holy crap the healer's outta mana!

[@dyldragon1]

atomicdancer Jesus Christ how horrifying

[@dragonpullman23]

Of course, if this was a teenage girl born in 2001 singing "New Americana", that line would be "Raised on Biebs and Ariana".

[@lurgertor]

I'm Canadian so I was raised on Simple Plan and Shania Twain. Personally I think I got the better deal.

[@Nagoragama]

Well look at it this way Todd, at least you won't have to talk about Selfie again in 10 years when you are doing new One Hit Wonderlands.

[@ptbrown121]

I was really expecting you to tell me this song was crap. I kind of have a track record of enjoying a song and then coming here to find out why it was junk-food for my ears.

[@ptbrown121]

Thanks for the offer, but seeing as how the tumblr and reddit exist I don't think that will be necessary.

[@samoria7530]

If you liked a song at first than a review changed your mind than the critic is good. If you like the song at first than someone tells you not to like it than you're a sheep. It's important to remember which is happening to you

[@sugarfrosted2005]

Do you know the children's rhyme this is sampling? I'm almost positive that is the only way to not utterly despise this song.

[@chuckbatman5]

You know for how much I watch Todd we seem to disagree a lot about modern music. Usually he bashes the songs I like and defends the ones I hate. Except for Somebody That I Used To Know, because that's just a fucking fantastic song

[@FishTitan64]

That's how I felt about his Kelly Clarkson review, lol

[@AllWIllFall2Me]

I know a lot of recent college graduates, being in my later 20's, and it's pretty common for people to refer to things their roommates left behind or gave them as "stolen", in order to imply a sort of active choice in the matter. "I took this when my roommate moved" versus "My roommate was going to throw this away, but I kept it." sort of posturing. I always took the "stolen" line to reference a similar situation, illustrating that the two are former lovers who broke up during college, probably because they went to different schools, explaining how she had a roommate in Boulder, but listened to music with him in Tuscon, respective homes of University of Colorado and University of Arizona. It also explains why it's been specifically "Four years" with no calls, or at least how they know the time frame so specifically.

[@IndianaKong95]

YES!! HE PUT NINE INCH NAILS "CLOSER" IN THE END CREDITS!!

[@IndianaKong95]

-

[@hollowman7168]

IndianaKong95 at first I thought it was a cover song of it

[@xenodweeb6425]

I was hoping for at least ONE reference to it and was not disappointed.

[@sweetasbloodredjam]

I was like: So there IS a GOOD song in this video after all!

[@sanriodeppressionthermos8602]

Trent did it first and much _much_ better.

[@dynaboyjl.4220]

I love that your Selfie clip blurs seamlessly into Party Rock Anthem. Three years apart, but the exact same amount of soulless.

[@rubberwoody]

at least PRA wasnt trying to be forcefully viral

[@brendantoungate8287]

Maybe, but Party Rock Anthem is a thousand times more enjoyable.

[@LiLkitty451]

And wasn't trying to say anything. It was just a party song and it knew that.

[@diamondaxestudios5591]

I like Party Rock Anthem. Quite a bit actually. It's enjoyable in a primal turn your brain off kind of way.

[@dabossman5650]

LOL

[@fermintenava5911]

5 years later, and I'm still not sick of that song. Maybe it's the rhyme scheme drawing me in, maybe it's that spirale of a chorus building up, maybe it's the youthful vibe from the lyrics... Or maybe I just remember Todd's review and therefore connect it with good memories.

[@stevie8271]

same here lol, i dunno what it is about THIS song in particular that makes it work for me. on paper, it's a song i should hate. but...as the guy in the song states, "i ii ii can't stop". the PMJ cover is even better but i still like the original a lot more than id normally admit edit: part of why it drives be a bit mad that i like this song is cause i listened to that song in coldplay and it's like they opened this project, changed some shit, and then just dropped in mr. coldplay's vocals in. i've listened to selfie and even in 2014 it made me want to blow my brains out. WHY IS THIS SONG *GOOD*????? WHY

[@ariannamyrie9520]

This was the unofficial song with my college friends and I.

[@seralouise.]

honestly the random ass details actually make the song feel even more real to me. it kinda gives me the impression that they were together for a long time before the breakup, learning all these little details abt each others lives, like where she got her mattress from, or a vacation to tuscon where they listened to blink-182's self-titled on repeat. i makes the song feel like theyre singing it to each other, not caring to give full context for the listener's benefit, the character's understand the significance of those moments even if we dont. i also think the couple being not entirely on the same page is a stroke of brilliance imho. like its, on the surface, a romantic song abt rekindling an old flame, but it has an air of tragedy to it. this sense that when they return to the old ways, the problems that plagued their relationship in the first place are already present. that is a lot of story and subtext to cram into a pop song whose chorus is a honking edm synth

[@vee1193]

5:12 Halsey is if Ke$ha tried to be Lorde. That's actually perfect

[@amarevanhook7453]

It's terrible

[@BAJZERTproductions]

I kind of like the name dropping of Tucson and Boulder. Mainly because it creates a narrative around areas that aren't New York and L.A, if that makes sense. If this is a broke millennial anthem, it's one that exists in an America that isn't typically romanticized by pop music, which adds to a kind of authenticity not seen in a lot of songs. It's not perfect, but I see the intention. That said, this review is fantastic as always. I always look forward to your content.

[@willnovak4173]

I fucking love Nine Inch Nails

[@balistic9475]

A wild "White Guilt Paul" appears!

[@morelikeno4044]

Paul Paul round as a ball.

[@willnovak4173]

#GlandersonBooper You'll understand when next ep is up ;)

[@EroticWhale]

Barthillias The Silliest white guilt Paul :D

[@willnovak4173]

@FutretsÆnima "Learn to Swim"

[@brynntense9951]

but "New Americana, raised on Britney and an endless barrage of Nickelback singles" doesn't have the same ~*edge*~

[@oliisawesomerightnow2866]

'Closer' sounds just like 'Love Me Like You Do'. Why does no-one bring this up more?

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

I did not noticed this until now

[@johnindigo5477]

They're just different enough.

[@twixieshores]

Hate to admit it, but I like this song, too. I dunno, maybe it's mathematics. A negative (The Chainsmokers) times a negative (Halsey) equals a positive.

[@Creampuf1977]

This is actually the first time I've ever heard of this song Oh boi how good life was before

[@samoria7530]

You've never heard of this song before this!? It's been the biggest song of the year for a while!

[@jesterleafnose798]

It's a pop love song. That's radio vanilla. The kind of song you just mentally shelf with the thousand others just like it.

[@xSwordLilyx]

Me too. My local supermarket is kind enough to keep the pop radio barely audible. It's... endearingly terrible.

[@ManOutofTime913]

This song's too generic to hate. That's actually how I feel about a lot of the hits this year.

[@margaesperanza]

I've only heard this song here for the first time. Its one of the first times I'm happy that I'm too swamped with work to even bother to know them. But then I saw and heard HALSEY. My cringe made my ass pucker.

[@JimmiPynk]

if Ke$ha was trying to be Lorde! You nailed it! never noticed it but that's exactly it!

[@scooterwearssocks]

Except Kesha is back, but not the party college girl

[@EpicGem815]

I think 2016 is such a catastrophic year for pop music that Todd's standards are lowering.

[@reneelucero2923]

You got that right.

[@riddypr]

Although, he did despise Don't Let Me Down.

[@geathdrips1736]

Kinda weird this year, not really any big hits you know. Kinda disappointed there were no memorable summer hits

[@riddypr]

Marquee_MooN I mean... America could've had Lush Life. But nooooooo... they didn't want it for some reason.

[@geathdrips1736]

riddyprower wasn't lush life 2015?

[@itzPhillip21]

*going to bed* *sees a new Todd in the Shadows * "well screw that"

[@EggLordMan]

itzPhillip21 same

[@EAEinc432]

itzPhillip21 same 😂

[@mjtubeme]

itzPhillip21 COLLEGE LIFE

[@vocalcalibration8033]

Yup.

[@kyokyoniizukyo7171]

same!

[@millie-mayprice891]

so, i'm approximately 3 centuries late to this conversation, but i think the line about stealing the mattress is actually pretty good character building for the female character, especially in a medium as limiting as song lyrics (admittedly the character they're building is a bit of a tired manic pixie dream girl trope, but you can't expect much more from a top 40 pop song)

[@suburiboy]

The melody is garbage, the singing is garbage, the hook is garbage,. The whole thing is like 3 notes... but somehow I get hype everytime I hear it. I rationally know it sucks, but i kinda like it. so it goes.

[@felicianosegundojr.4062]

Jacob Mccann Kinda surprised he didn't use the generic four note trope

[@suburiboy]

Feliciano Segundo Jokes on you bud. It's actually a 2 chord song, 3 if you are generous. It goes from Db to F with Eb as transition. To be clear about how uncreative that is, they are going from the IV to the vi by way of the V... they are all right in row... and while being in a mode could be interesting, they really do nothing with it.

[@coentertainer]

Well as long as you rationally know it sucks...

[@Necron1999]

Jacob Mccann lol, if you like it, then how much can it really suck? Art is purely subjective.

[@samiali749]

youraverageevilpoet but taking a shit on a canvas isn't art

[@lepkember6913]

11:06 thanks todd for reminding me about a much better musician that probably never is gonna get another hit.

[@IoEstasCedonta]

What about "Eyes Wide Open"?

[@lepkember6913]

IoEstasCedonta place 96 on the us charts is not really a hit. Besides that was 6 years ago

[@lepkember6913]

IoEstasCedonta it also came after somebody that I used to know

[@chuckbatman5]

Yah the fact that he reminded me of Gotye just makes me even more sad about the state of modern popular music. Somebody That You Used To Know is arguably not even Gotye's best song but it's still 10 times better than 90% of the hits in the past couple years

[@LG_Hakubi]

Also props to Kimbra, who got steamrolled by Lorde while being 10x more creative and talented.

[@numbvox]

Not gonna lie, I love this song. And I love you too Todd, but I have to disagree with the mattress. It's not about painting a scene, it's about painting a person. Maybe we haven't all met the magical trainwreck person before, but that line more than any other specifically tells us who that girl is. She's a whirlwind; the kind of girl who tears through the lives of the people around her and leaves them with bittersweet feelings. The kind of girl everyone loves and admires but also pities. Sort of like the overplayed manic-pixie-girl cliche, but with more wanderlust and Kerouac-ian dreams. Anyway, I know I'm overthinking it, but that line is super important in my interpretation of the song.

[@cicadeus7741]

Yes precisely Shes living outta her car, she never settled down, shes incompatible with commitment, shes sweet but two faced, she dropped out, she thrives on adventure and denies regret. And he is introspective and nihilistic and judgemental, he gets by on good looks and sarcastic charm Together theyre overflowing with chemistry but totally incompatible. Theres no life to be built together but they can enjoy the joyride and reminisce about being kids until they inevitably crash and burn

[@samoria7530]

I actually hated the song at first but it really grew on me as time went by. I now like it

[@samoria7530]

Oh and I love don't let me down and am indifferent to roses in case you were wondering

[@n64wilbert]

I still hate it despite the weird social commentary

[@tonykoslowski5010]

Glad to see somebody like this song and Don't Let Me Down besides me.

[@noemistephanie93]

Same! It's one of the VERY FEW songs I like from this decade!

[@daxtro5492]

i saw a post that said "any two white dudes can walk up to me and say they're the chainsmokers and i would believe them"

[@pronovicescott4239]

Hasley put Nirvana because she had to think of a cool/influential band that rhymes with Americana. Otherwise, honestly for millennials it would have been "raised on Grande, Ariana" lol

[@kippiekorner9545]

I honestly don't mind the mattress line that much because for me it actually kind of painted a picture of immaturity to these two that added to the car she can't afford and the tattoos (not that everyone with a tattoo is impulsive but everyone impulsive sure does seem to have a tattoo). It's exaggerated and sort of just there for the rhyming structure, but I don't think out-there lyrics are inherently bad. Then again I like word salad songs so it might just be that the flow and tone of the words matters more than the coherency of the storytelling, for me.

[@BloodfelX]

18:33 So what you're saying Todd is that it takes the results of the 2016 US Presidential Election to make this song look good? Damn.

[@crazyluigi6664]

Honestly, most things might take that well by comparison to the results of 2016's Presidential Elections.

[@SpartacusRyuuou]

So.....Trump winning makes a bad song good? Guess I know where his (moronic) politics lie. For me, November 8/9 redeemed the 'current year' into something I can at least say it wasn't total garbage.

[@SpartacusRyuuou]

its more the reaction and aftermath than anything else. it has been a GLORIOUS week and a half for me.

[@amityislandchum]

@@SpartacusRyuuou How ya doin' these days, buddy? Are you in jail for Jan. 6th, or sitting in Dealey Plaza waiting for JFK, Jr. to appear? Lmao

[@rattrap1009]

I've hated this song since before I heard it because it keeps coming up when I try to listen to NIN.

[@irishhuskie2585]

Well, that's what you get for trying to listen to Nine Inch Nails. Ha! I'm sorry.

[@troyschulz2318]

Note to All Aspiring Musicians: Do Not Name Your Shitty Music After Good Music.

[@rattrap1009]

K. Charrette That might just be an emo music thing. Didn't MCR do the same thing?

[@troyschulz2318]

ChicagoDomer2596 No, no your not.

[@irishhuskie2585]

You're right, I'm not.

[@SamuelGalvan_]

“Raised on biggie and nirvana”. The word “raised” being the important word. I’m Halsey’s age. Those are the artists that were popular during my childhood. Early childhood at least. My dad was a huge Nirvana fan.

[@leeshdee9269]

I'm a couple years older than Halsey. Even I wasn't "raised" on Biggie and Nirvana. Bigge and Nirvana were NOT pop culture influences for our generation. Saying "Oh my parents played it in our house" is a cop out. My dad is a huge ABBA fan (yes, really), and played them contestantly in our house growing up. Didn't impact me in pop culture as a teen. Who did, and who did for Halsey? Artists like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, One Direction and Justin Beiber. And if you want to get into the argument of "she's using examples of indie or less mainstream singers and groups like Nirvana", ok fine than list all the emo bands that were around in the mid 2000s.

[@augustooliveira518]

@@leeshdee9269 Actually I've met a lot of people that their musical taste is identical to their parents. My dad and my grandpa musical taste is almost the same. I have a friend who is the greatest fan of Beatles and Queen due to her dad. A lot of people likes samba (a musical genre and a dance in my country) because their parents taught them how to dance it at a very young age. It's not most of people. It's actually other way around. But saying it doesn't happen it is the same think of saying that you can't be stunk by a bee. It usually does't happen, but it can happen at any time.

[@kodyeldridge5847]

I'm 3 years older than Halsey and even I wasn't "raised" on any of those artists.

[@afterdinnercreations936]

@@kodyeldridge5847 Me too. I didn't even get into music, in general until high-school. Even then, it was Linkin Park and American Idiot-era Green Day.

[@EndParenthesis]

@@kodyeldridge5847 I'm the same age as you, and by the time I got into Nirvana I was like 13-14 years old. None of my school mates or friends listened to them, many didn't even know who/what they were. On the other hand, I can remember at least two teachers who complimented my Nirvana shirt, because it was *their* generation's music.

[@cometflare9419]

I think if this song had better music, and better voices to carry it, I might enjoy it more. As it stands, however, I think it is really unimpressive. The chorus drop got really old really quickly, it just annoys me at this point.

[@madimorie]

I completely agree with you

[@YuukitheMighty1]

Comet Flare agreed, I think that's my problem with this type of music in general, it gets annoying after a while.

[@roguishpaladin]

I'm kinda thinking that the voices work. The Chainsmokers guy doesn't have an especially powerful voice, which echoes his lack of investment in whatever is going on. It's also the predominant voice in the chorus, which reflects the fact that he's in the driver's seat - being the less invested, he can basically get whatever he wants out of the hookup. Halsey sounds a little stronger and more sincere, which matches the lyrics int he song. This is a well-produced song, with thought behind what they were trying to achieve.

[@Thomasmemoryscentral]

What really gets to me is how Halsey in Verse 2 has almost no new lyrics after her start. Sure, her character POV is she was somehow insane for leaving but meeting him 4 years later in the hotel bar has practically the same lyrics word for word. Couldn't they rewrite her lines a bit?

[@mipmipmipmipmip]

The lyrics and the beat could use some improvement too.

[@MegaFriendlyCreeper]

In 2016, all pop songs are either bad or depressing. Can we just go back to 2015 and have Shut up and Dance playing everywhere again?

[@xdearlifex]

There are 2 major problems with this song, and they're very big problems for me: 1) I hate that fucking melody after the chorus. That doop de do doo doop de do doo that has the same melody as the singing in the chorus is fucking annoying as shit. The melody works when they sing it, but when it's played on that fucking synth on that setting they picked it's like being stung by a confused wasp that got trapped in your earwax. And 2) it's being played every freaking hour on my work radio and I can't tune it out. I seem to have some really specific mental problem where I can't tune out pop music, and every overplayed piece of pop trash that comes on that fucking radio ticks a few days off my life, twisting my neurons until they finally fucking snap and I die at 50 from a rage induced stroke. This song and Treat You Better need to go the fuck away. Please dear god make them go away.

[@amyrosefan926]

xdearlifex are you ok 🙄

[@yongyong5296]

same man same

[@yongyong5296]

same man same

[@irishhuskie2585]

That second one isn't actually a problem with the song. It's not the song's fault that it gets played so much. Saying that it's a (tangible) problem with the song is inaccurate; saying that you have a personal problem with it makes much more sense (and I assume is what you meant). Although I will give you this: Treat You Better can fuck off. Easily my pick for worst song of the year.

[@merchantfan]

Yeah, the lyrical details are a little weird, but they aren't what make it annoying- it's that doo de doo de doo da melody that plays over and over again. It just sounds monotonous.

[@Protostarofficial]

It is in fact back up

[@Morbos1000]

Baby Boomer Anthem: Teenage Wasteland Gen-X Anthem: Smells Like Teen Spirit Millennial Anthem: Closer If true that would be the saddest statement about Millennials I think I've heard

[@jimbogreen7029]

lol

[@Seligsuper]

Morbos1000 the real millennial anthem is probably Sugar We're Going Down by Fall Out Boy. It's 10 years old at this point but the baby boomers were 20 somethings when Teenage Wasteland came out.

[@Candela115]

Morbos1000 teenage wasteland? you mean Baba O'Reily?

[@Hola-tq4pg]

1. Millennials aren't from the 00's fool, this would be HOMELANDERS anthem, learn something before writing bullshit 2. Is Baba O'Reily, not Teenage Wasteland 3. the Millennial anthem probably would be All the Small Things or Gold Digger

[@David-hd4et]

Hola123 or maybe we belong together by Mariah carey

[@mightygregdoge]

Hearing Todd react to events in Nov 2016 feels darkly humorous in 2021.

[@MrSabotage8]

I think you don't really get those lyrics. It's intentionally full of unnecessary details, because that's what they remember about each other. It's to show that they've known each other very well in the past. He even knows the backstory of her mattress, so he must know everything about her (or used to). Thats why it's so incredibly specific. The song is not about the mattress or Boulder or whatever (these things are completely interchangeable). It's about the feeling of meeting someone you haven't seen in a long time, but had a very intimate relationship with. So you remember all these little unnecessary details about them. Not trying to say that this is a lyrical masterpiece, but how can you analyze the lyrics and not get that? In song lyrics, you don't have to pick apart every single word. It's about the bigger picture, the feel it's trying to convey. This even applies for the best musicians.

[@MrSabotage8]

Plus, it's an EDM song, so why do you spend so much time doing a bad job of analyzing the lyrics, when the musical production is much more important?

[@mpmqbi]

He does get it, notice how he actually does like the song and the lyrics. He just criticizes the parts he thinks don't make sense in that context. Also, while in EDM the production is generally more important I'm not sure if it's the case with this particular song.

[@austinshoupe3003]

The wordiness is clumsy and interrupts the flow. It's a common amateur author problem. You keep packing information until you have a sentence that takes up a third of the page. Or a line of poetry that's too long for the meter. Music is pretty rigid. It's really hard to insert extra stuff. At a certain point, you have to be more efficient in your language.

[@allyli1718]

No, I think Todd is right. The details aren't supposed to be 'useless,' they're supposed to be small and mundane. Intentionally having unnecessary details can work, but they still shouldn't be random bullshit. Like, people aren't trivia night. You don't say you know someone because you know what brand shampoo they wear or where they got their dog's shoes. You say you know them when you understand how these small and mundane things are gestures/signs/results of who they are as a person. So when you write a song like this, you have to be intentional about what details to highlight, otherwise you come across as one of those types who can name every detail in LOTR but doesn't understand the themes or messages. And nobody wants to hear that guy talk about Boromir's bloodline for the 500th time. For instance, Todd agrees with the shoulder tat and the land rover and the 'can't afford' line bc they're small details that paint a picture of her and the scene. She's bad with money/irresponsible, she's kind of impulsive, she's got that 'young adult punk' type vibe. What he disagrees with is the mattress, and he's right. That's such an inane detail to mention in the literal build-up to the chorus about them reconnecting. Like you'd expect it to be something like 'that mattress you stole from me' or 'the mattress where we first' or some sort of mundane but meaningful detail relevant to their reconnection. Instead, we go from them making out to 'her roommate in Boulder' back to them making out again. Makes no sense, and that line always pissed me off bc who cares about her goddamn roommate? Either put the mattress/roommate line at the beginning of the song, where we're still doing individual character building rather than relationship building, or point out a *different* unnecessary detail about the mattress that's more relevant to their relationship. That way, the transition to their reconnection in the next line feels natural. Some people have pointed out that the songwriter could be trying to say that she still has the mattress from her college roommate (where Boulder refers to her college town) to demonstrate the way she still hasn't grown up since then, as she's still using the shitty furniture she got in college, but I still feel like they could've done it less clunkily. Like, I get it's supposed to be saying 'oh, we were together in college, and we're together again bc we still haven't grown past this,' but instead of saying that, it draws way more attention to her god damn roommate.

[@noisykestrel]

Is there anybody else who really want's Todd to review 24K Magic?

[@fentanylfrog8403]

It would probably be the only positive pop song review he's put out this year.

[@noisykestrel]

Anson Guan Besides the above, that is

[@settheray2jerry1]

i hate that song. it sounds like brag rap

[@fentanylfrog8403]

isaiah It would be if it were a regular rap song, but it has this element of cheese that makes it seem like he's just playing around.

[@gabrielleva4983]

I'm calling it'll be somewhere on his Top 10 Songs of 2016 list. Fuck it, maybe even top 5. XD

[@ayebri]

Never been this excited and early for a video 😍❤️

[@knightwing5169]

Same. This is mainly because this song is horrible. I am sick of it. It has been stinking up the radio for months. I hated it the first time I heard it, and then overplay made me hate it EVEN FUCKING MORE.

[@user-fn5ts4jf4f]

knight wing Same, and my friends love it. When they sing it I stay cringing on the corner.

[@greenpanda6665]

knight wing I like this song -_-

[@mipmipmipmipmip]

I haven't generally been as excited ever since I stole that mattress somewhere in a rather nice town in Colorado.

[@bloatus7611]

Every time I hear singing like Halsey's I think of that one vine about indie singers. If you google that description, it'll be the first thing to come up. I honestly used to like that when I was younger and thought it was unique but I'm getting old, man. And it's so grating now.

[@jeliii7900]

bANAENAES AND AVOCAEDAYS

[@PeggyKoneko]

Wæhlcöme tu mah keetchehn We hæve bænænæs Ahnd ævahcahdahs

[@GraceLJW]

This song dropped while my partner and I were stuck in Arizona for months on a dance tour, we were working through a stress-induced toxic point in our relationship, and this song just...hit right. We're doing great now, but this song still feels cathartic.

[@JoshuaFagan]

#1 song of 2016 according to Todd, everyone. ;)

[@alexandersong5753]

fuck no

[@therealdgh13]

Alexander Song fuck yes Good song 8.584736366282/8.6

[@missalcoholic4572]

Now we wait for Todd's "best" and "worst" of 2016 XD

[@helexable]

welp gotta wait till late january early febuary 2017

[@missalcoholic4572]

helexable oh yeah uuuhhhhh :p

[@biscui1o]

I ecks dee unironically

[@ZanraiKid]

Considering what I know of Todd's taste in music, I know "Cake by the Ocean" will appear on at least one of those lists.

[@lepkember6913]

Lukas Graham, Justin Bieber, Drake, Zayn Malik...its gonna be a fun list.

[@Maude02000]

Todd manages to avoid the election during the fallout AND not bring up Tom DeLonge leaving the band while talking about Blink-182? In one video? Impressive

[@jesterleafnose798]

+John Doe You have no confidence in Trump, do you?

[@tealyg99]

John Doe are you telling me that you wouldn't complain if trump hadn't won, you'd have accepted the election result, because your own president wouldn't have just saying

[@PandoraOrosco]

Mitch Stout one of the reasons I like him way more than others. sure he threw a fit on twitter but he never brings politics into his videos which I appreciate

[@onijester56]

Just like there was nothing more fun than watching these Right-wing Pussies meltdown after Obama's election. The knife cuts both ways.

[@jesterleafnose798]

***** Or watching these right-wing pussies get rustled upon learning that their entertainment providers hate the guy they voted for.

[@taylorfrench6722]

It's back up.

[@gequitz]

Halsey kinda looks like Victoria from Life is Strange

[@SharpCookies]

I'm almost surprised there's apparently such hate for this song. I mean, the lyrics are definitely clumsy and it's not the BEST, but I honestly just find it pretty pleasant to listen to? Despite the lyrics being too descriptive-y, it gets across the mixed emotions of two people hooking up after a long time away from eachother. The bitterness, the different perspectives on the same relationship, sudden rekindling of desire, etc. I'm glad you sort of see the appeal of it too, Todd. Cheers!

[@arwinsingh8256]

We were so innocent before this years list

[@matsinkal]

If you like this song you are wrong.

[@arwinsingh8256]

@@matsinkal guess most people are wrong then

[@suburiboy]

side note; I assume that Boulder and Tucson are meant to be more evocative rather than literal. They are state university college towns in the West.You get age and tone approximations by choosing those towns.

[@8bitdiedie]

Yesterday at dinner my sister accidentally hummed this song (she doesn't actually like it, it was just stuck in her head) and my mum, despite only having heard it a few times, went into traumatic experience flashback mode and was like "No! Stop! I don't want this!".

[@Nukle0n]

Todd you do realize that Millenials are people born from the early 80's to the late 90's right? Biggie and Nirvana are entirely things they could be raised by.

[@Crusader1089]

"Millennial" is just the new way of saying "kids these days"

[@Nukle0n]

Yeah but it gets embarassing to hear actual millenials talk about millenials like it's something they aren't a part of.

[@jaelperalta9536]

Nukleon actually, I don't think early 80s counts. Just from 1990-2000

[@Nukle0n]

Nope, try looking it up instead of just guessing.

[@Crusader1089]

I appreciate people have tried to define it, but that doesn't mean those strict definitions are rigorously enforced. There's not Institute Generationale coming to ensure we're using the correct terms. People still talk about Generation X to mean disaffected teenagers, even though Generation X stopped being born in 1975. Generation Y can refer to anyone up to the early 90s. Millenial might be defined one way, but the way it is used by people means "young adults right now". Do you really think they're going to stop calling disaffected young adults millenials in the next 10 years as the last strict millenial hits their thirties?

[@kilianbrandon5419]

"she is not a very good singer" Todd you will eat those words when Halsey finds you.

[@Harv72b]

I like the Boulder line. It shows the history that the two characters share, little details that only someone who has known her for so long would know. I think it does add to the story. Also a big One-Hit Wonder request: "Walk the Dinosaur" by Was (Not Was). I wouldn't have ever been curious until I actually heard some of their other stuff, and....wow. Massive genre change...and on the same album.

[@Redout9122]

I just hate the chorus. It's so nursery rhyme sounding.

[@sugarfrosted2005]

This song is actually sampling one. It's like Eenie Meenie Miney Moe Lover, but for adults.

[@Leonemian]

Did this *just* get un-blocked?

[@bronzewolf6464]

That transition from Let Me Take A Selfie to LMFAO was low-key really cool and works unintentionally well.

[@mitchnin10dofan]

Closer by The Chainsmokers

[@bespectacledheroine7292]

Not gonna lie, I jammed out a bit when that played during the outro.

[@baxterbrown8088]

Am I the only one who remembers Closer by Neyo? I think that one is my favorite. Although the Chainsmokers version is great too

[@shanewicher1363]

Baxter Brown Songs with the same title are not different "versions" of a song. They have absolutely nothing in common except for the title.

[@duke86fan]

closer by FKA twigs though

[@Remwr]

less than Closer by Tegan and Sara

[@mindovermindfuck]

The song is one thing, but that music video is one continuous hookup and it looks kinda awkward

[@corneliahanimann2173]

I'm so curious about what songs are going to be in his best list... I mean, for the "worst" list, I have plenty of songs come to my mind. But the best? No idea...

[@josephdunn9538]

Do you really care what my name is? I took a pill in ibiza was good

[@charlie.hubbard5463]

Cornelia Hanimann 24K Magic I gotta think is solid for a spot

[@crazyluigi6664]

Side To Side?

[@iCommentator3000]

I Took a Pill In Ibiza, Roses, Cheap Thrills, This Is What You Came For, 24k Magic, maybe Can't Stop the Feeling! At least going off his videos and his Twitter feed (and the fact that any retro song gets a slot automatically on his best list for 24k Magic).

[@mastergreymon9483]

Do you really care what my name is? Same. If I could find a version sans Yachty, I'd listen to that shit everyday.

[@vocalcalibration8033]

And suddenly I find myself with the intense desire to write a song about a mattress thief couple.

[@MisterGunpowder257]

What I've found, especially from watching Todd's stuff, is that a _lot_ of sincerity and/or energy in a given song can cover for a *_lot_* of bad in it, even lack of innate talent. Of course, combining sincerity/energy _and_ talent is what results in a song that makes a real mark for itself in history.

[@CazTheGamerGuy]

2016 is just the worst for everything except video games and movies. Burn this whole year to a ground.

[@KaijaSchmauss]

I'd argue that the return of Green Day, Blink 182, and Panic at the Disco, plus Twenty One Pilots getting big have been the only saviors this year. I say we blast Troubled Times while we destroy the year, just because it's accurate.

[@cosmogreenpaws]

Caz nah mate the movies sucked too. TV is alright I guess.

[@stagpie6449]

Civil War was pretty great tho

[@BruceWayne-gv9zs]

Caz videogames fuckin sucked this year outside the indies

[@TeamUnitedNerds]

Doom was good.

[@lilpetz500]

I actually love Roses... and I kinda like don't let me down... and EDM in general... Also, I was literally considering these points of this song today exactly, yet I didn't expect Todd to cover it.

[@lordofgiovanni]

Mira Tarnish oh that's OK! who doesn't like Roses? ... CAROLIIIIINE

[@lordofgiovanni]

Shy Gigyas I hope she's speeding on the way to the club trying to get to some baller or singer or someone and try to put hermake up on AND CRASH, CRASH, CRAAAAAASH INTO A DITCH

[@kaydwessie296]

I hate when people say these songs are EDM and bash EDM. They're not, they're just electro pop. I can give you THE GOOD SHIT.

[@lilpetz500]

Please do... I like the actual EDM stuff too, it's more than just beeping sounds in the 4 chords of pop music

[@kaydwessie296]

Mira Tarnish Alright first just listen to everything you get on youtube when you search "System F" and "Ferry Corsten" (Same guy)

[@datacentre81]

I pay absolutely no attention to pop music so Todd's videos are the only place I'm hearing these songs.

[@inthefurnace]

You completely missed what people really hate about the song, which is the production and that awful, awful drop. This review is the equivalent of a review of Kanye West's "Famous" and just completely ignoring the Taylor Swift line

[@aronpuma5962]

As someone who is not into EDM, and cares less about drops than like, chords and shit... I can't say I think it's good, but I don't listen for where the beat drops, I just listen for how cohesive it is.

[@aR0ttenBANANA]

Except Kanye West doesn't always do it for the fame, he does it for the feel. Kanye's lyrics have never been the best but they bring the feel they want to.

[@rasengdori13]

Todd has always cared about lyrics more than anything else in a song. But yeah fuck that drop. Worst thing that came out of music in 2016.

[@sugarfrosted2005]

In The Furnace Do you know the game Red Rover and the associated rhyme that this is sampling? I am almost positive this is why it's hated.

[@wateredown_3651]

actually the things that brought me to hate this song as much as I do are the lyrics: so many useless details that destroy the flow of the song and distract way too much... I swear that matress line drives me insane everytime I hear it... other than that, the two characters presented are so annoying, they tried to make them relatable and failed yeah the drop is pretty awful too and doesn't help at all

[@yltb2702]

"the worst year in history" Todd, I'm pretty sure you jinxed it.

[@man4437]

Every time someone calls the year they're living in the worst in history, God puts another tally on the "bad things for next year" chart

[@yltb2702]

@@man4437 That would actually make a lot of sense

[@daviderde]

really glad im not professional a critic cus god it just seems so insufferable to have to check in with whats new and cool in music or movies

[@WeDwellinaFiefdom]

The best "Closer" plays at the end

[@purplequi9962]

Do you like Roses? Honestly, it's probably their best song, just because of the vocalist.

[@shadowmaster1313]

So many of the EDM songs annoy me because I like the singer and the radio never mentions the singer who I enjoyed and want to hear more of.

[@TackyRackyComixNEO]

Ellen Hutchings there's this thing called the internet, it allows you to look things up. there are also song ID apps

[@dennett316]

@TackyRacky, there's also this thing called not being a prick for no reason. Try looking that up...after this comment, I have to look it up too. Look what you made me do!

[@TackyRackyComixNEO]

Paul Dennett nah I'm good

[@MaddMan621]

Roses is a good song. The drop that they recycled for that Coldplay song is probably the worst part, but overall, very enjoyable song

[@sueoliveri5796]

I’m not even joking the first time I heard new Americana I started crying.

[@AudzillaC]

I used to love your videos on league of super critics, but after that channel went missing I couldn't find you anywhere! I missed your videos so much man. Can't believe I'm just finding this. Keep up the good work :)

[@justthecoolestdudeyo9446]

I thought the whole idea that he knew where the mattress was from was an indication of how intimately he knew her, in that he just casually knew incredibly specific details in her life. Do other millennials move around a lot, like apparently this couple did? I mean, there's plenty of other songs about being broke (Lorde's Royals) that I never heard getting associated as a generational anthem.

[@kaskus7147]

I like to believe that it is a song about a suicide pact. They planned to meet up at this certain bar in 4 years if their lives hadn't gotten any better. They notice every little detail, because they are the last details.Then they sleep together one last time and walk into the ocean. They ain't ever getting older.

[@gingerace082]

bro wtf

[@coloneldookie7222]

This makes amazing sense because, any other way you cut it, it was written by two men who flopped into mainstream music and they wrote a song to mansplain how absolutely stupid and useless this bimbo is that they just want to sleep with one more time because she's too vapid to say no to a himbo. I much more prefer this new "suicide pact" idea and hope the song meets the same fate as Cujo.

[@restlessbohemian]

This was number one for so long! I just knew you were going to do an episode on it! ❤

[@HyperRealityChannel]

I love the instrumental composition but the lyrics heavily bug me. I mean can see why you like it. The awkward lyrics you mentioned is the reason why I dislike it, it's shallow and at some points, I feel like the guy is being a jerk and the girl is a ditz.

[@4evarwithU]

JOSUÀ M4N6À I don't like the lyrics too.

[@silvertamagachi]

Gotta say, as someone who did the "man this person is a massive fuckboy but I'm going to excuse all of that because he's really, really hot and he's probably a great guy underneath it all," this song totally resonated with me. It's an anthem for bad decisions.

[@HyperRealityChannel]

silvertamagachi so? what's that supposed to mean?

[@silvertamagachi]

JOSUÀ M4N6À Um, I was just explaining why I liked the lyrics and didn't think they were shallow? Or more like, they're shallow because that reflects the emotional state of the characters in the song, and it's a state that I think some people can really relate to. Not sure why you're being oddly confrontational about it . . .

[@HyperRealityChannel]

silvertamagachi Okay...have you even read aloud your own comment ...So you are saying that despite all the crazy shit, despite the guy being a douchebag, despite any possible abuse, you will forgive him because two things, he is so handsome therefore he must be nice since he is so handsome and because you had a good fuck...how old are you? did you even experience love before? or heck any form of a relationship like friendship? because if you did, you should know that love probably is more than good looks and fucking or hell has nothing to do with neither of them

[@OscarRodriguezChannel]

This song would be decent if the "drop" was a *real drop*

[@mickels2020]

d r o p t o p

[@danielvandusen5724]

Wow, that's so cool how you noticed how bad that Boulder lyric is, especially when put next to one of the best lyrics in the song "never getting older." I always wonder when I hear lyrics like this and it gives me a weird feeling that's hard to describe. It's kind of a cringe feeling, but not quite, because of how it's corny but not corny enough to be intended. It kind of just doesn't sit right and stands out in a bad way. It's so hard to explain what and why it doesn't feel right to my ear. But I always wondered if it was just me that got that feeling when listening to certain songs, so it's really cool to know that other people experience certain things like this and it's not only me having similar reactions. Subbed!

[@IoEstasCedonta]

So... this song is about a suicide pact, right? We all got that impression?

[@connla]

Todd you have perfect timing. I was just in the mood for new episode. though I prefer one hit wonders

[@ShowWithNoName]

I always thought or Closer as a sex song. Just a little snapshot about a one-night stand, and not about love at all, and they depart the next day.

[@Bionicleforever]

Show With No Name tru

[@cloudstrife4534]

I actually do unironically like this song(not that I ironically like anything to begin with). It's pretty much just because I'm a fan of Halsey, because I really don't like the Chainsmokers most of the time as artists and producers. And I really don't like them as people either. Although I do like 'Don't Let Me Down' a little, and their remix of Guy Sebastian's 'Like a Drum' a lot. Either way, I didn't actually know that this song was hated at all, even though I'm not surprised it is. I guess I just wasn't looking on Twitter at the right times. What I am pleasantly surprised about is that you like this song! It makes me feel like my taste in Top 40 isn't complete shit.

[@peppermint23]

I cannot tell you how long I've been waiting for this. I love you so much, Todd.

[@devilmikey00]

This is one of those songs that's probably going to be a big hit again when someone covers it a couple years down the road. There is something about it that just "works" despite everyone involved doing their absolute best to try and make it not work.

[@celestemarie1045]

Lmao that VMAs performance was funny as fuck. He makes Halsey seems like a great singer compared to him

[@johnnybraccia452]

'You're a pop song reviewer during the upheaval of the world.' Ah shit, you don't even know. 2016: shit show. 2020: shit show of death and isolation. 2021: today, we're on the verge of nuclear war with two world powers... and I'm not counting North Korea and all the 2020 shit is still here. We NEED your pop song reviews... and drugs.

[@Heffy_Boi]

Great job as usual Todd. Here's hoping you'll be able to cover more like this in the future. Problem is, as popular as EDM has become, I don't really hear about a lot of sweeping hits from it (or at least, not from the artists I frequent). May be a while before we see a truly special case come to everyone attention again.

[@cardinals8496]

Damn it, Todd! I wanted to sleep but you just had to upload.

[@amityislandchum]

"2016 must be the worst year ever." Lol, just wait until 2020...

[@BradyPostma]

The financial troubles surrounding their tryst highlights their lingering youth and irresponsibility just before the chorus says "We ain't never getting older." They can't get their lives together, which gives them common ground but also is a bad omen for their relationship. That's what I got from it.

[@EpicBeard815]

I will say, "Roses" is one hell of a banger. Id be surprised if it didn't make it somewhere on your top 10 video

[@soupysoup9340]

As much as I despise this entire song, I'll give them credit for resisting singing "stole-uh" to force the rhyme with the rest of the chorus. Absolutely expected it of them the first time I heard it

[@DustPunk]

I'd only heard two of Halsey's song before I heard Closer for the first time, and they were "Control" and "Castle", both of which I think are much better on her part. If you like Halsey's voice, but want better songs, my favorite of the two is Control. Anyways, I'm super glad to have your opinions on this song. I admit I was pretty taken with it right away, and liked the excessive detail in the chorus. It added a touch of familiarity on a "pointless" level that feels appropriate for the kind of brief but intense relationship the two characters seemed to have. For the flaws it did have, I couldn't dislike Closer even if I didn't love it for the sound alone. It's a step in a direction that I highly approve of, and I'm plenty happy to have more of this rather than more Selfie from the Chainsmokers.

[@jimmymelendez1836]

Geez, this was posted on November 17, 2016.😱 That explains the hints of politics Tod did.

[@xSwordLilyx]

I get that I'm not suppoused to like New Americana. I still like it. Just like I'm excited for the Snoop and Martha Stewart cooking show.

[@shadowmaster1313]

Oh, same. I totally got something different out of it than Todd did.

[@suburiboy]

New Americana just drones and Halsey sings like a dying sheep on it. The voice crack on the word "americana" just does nothing.. It's trying to be anthemic and epic but just fails on every level. None of the specific generational details land in any meaningful way. But your comment is how I feel about "closer" and "don't let me down" so it's whatever.

[@noideac]

I literally sat through this just because I knew I'd hear Nine Inch Nails at the end

[@CauseReviews]

Okay, so I'm still not convinced about the song itself; but damn I love the storytelling in the video. Particularly the editing, the production/costume design, the sense of continuity and the invocation of the weights they carry.

[@chicoarraes]

your ability to appreciate this kind of stuff never ceases to amaze me. I love your videos, but the Pop Song Reviews just come to remind me never to listen contemporary to pop music , like ever.

[@garrettscroggs]

"It's such a songwritery-song." That's something I really missed when I wrote this off at the time. I had to hear two different covers of this to actually focus in on the lyrics, and I think the writing is actually really good. Going back to the original years later, I've come around a lot on it, even with the drop that I still don't love but am also not annoyed by anymore. So much that even the flaws of it honestly work in the song's favor. Everything "wrong" with this (including the less-than-stellar vocals of both singers) actually make this feel a lot more lived-in and believable tbh. Everyone gave Todd crap for putting this as his best hit of 2016, but honestly I think he was, once again, ahead of the curve on this one.

[@toolongforyoutoread6]

I absolutely loathe this song, but I liked "Don't Let Me Down" so I guess we're even.