POP SONG REVIEW: "Without Me" by Halsey

[@nicolah.6454]

Todd calling Halsey "maam" had me on the floor

[@Chroniknight]

Mee too floored

[@galleryofrogues]

Karen Todd

[@RichardWatt]

@@galleryofrogues well, Todd didn't ask for a manager, so an improvement on the standard Karen?

[@TNTales]

Without Me is secretly about how much she misses tweeting with Todd.

[@GarfieldiusPrime]

lol.

[@Mauricekaip]

This just made me chuckle.

[@damiensteinrich9677]

I literally lol'd at this

[@achair650]

Well his twitter feed is fun I don't blame her...

[@That_One_Heather]

She came for the music takes, stayed for Amy Dog pics

[@GrimReaper-dh8yc]

I like to think that, whenever a new Todd In The Shadows video comes out, Halsey and Mike Posner meet up, get some pizza and drinks, and watch it together.

[@ryanharrahill3302]

"Lorde killed my career" is the new "Nirvana killed by career"

[@Sydney-Casket-Base]

i was thinkin the same thing! XD

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

What if Kurt got reincarnated as Lorde?

[@DoodooSwaggy]

@@SahloFolina2161 Maybe she can do him to herself

[@SahloFolina2161]

@@DoodooSwaggy Wait what are you suggesting?

[@KrisRN23935]

​@@kittykittybangbang9367I looked it up and she was born 2 years after he died. Just saying 💀

[@neutral_fox_hotel]

Without fail this used to play in this teriyaki restaurant every time I went. It's like pavlovian conditioning now, I hear Halsey and I crave sushi

[@sportsjefe]

Guess you couldn't live "Without Sushi"... needs work.

[@rodie3602]

HAHAHA

[@tannith_toyart]

The same thing happened to me in my first year of university when I got dinner on campus with my new roommate at the time. We got dinner together at the same place just about every day and just about every day this song came on. We kept living together (and having dinner together) during second year until the pandemic hit and ruined my life. But we still kept in touch after that and now we've been dating for like four years or something. But now, strangely, this downbeat song about a breakup makes me think of the giddy rush of new love. I do not think that is what Halsey intended, but it's one of my favourites regardless.

[@tannith_toyart]

Also sorry for the random life story but your comment really resonated with me.

[@neutral_fox_hotel]

@@tannith_toyart that’s fuckin beautiful man. since making this comment i’ve actually been dating the love of my life for a year and a half. crazy how life just like, happens lol

[@Avossk]

Alright how long till Halsey comments on this video and dedicates her next song to some nebulous internet music critic who doesn't show his face

[@samcronin3771]

She'd call it "Loving Your Shadow".

[@Unnlikable]

@@samcronin3771 or "Chasing my Shadow"

[@Bluecho4]

You know all this talk about Halsey trying to be like a comic book hero makes her beef-but-not-really with Todd all the funnier. Like he's become a supervillain. "In this issue, Halsey tangles with the unseen horror that is...Todd in the Shadows!"

[@DocteurNS]

"I shadow have done that"... ... ...my god, that was terrible.

[@MysRyuza]

He would better review that lol

[@gabe_s_videos]

You missed the perfect opportunity to end with the Eminem song “Without Me.”

[@dysperdotted]

don’t worry, diamond axe studios will let you know.

[@gabe_s_videos]

@Gabe Davis I don't think so. I know he said he didn't like that song, though.

[@gabe_s_videos]

@@danka1167 He's never said he dislikes Eminem.

[@ECL28E]

Hell no; but he was appalled with Relapse. Holy shit, Just Lose It was hot garbage.

[@katedavis3233]

I don’t think so, he said in this video he was exceptionally talented

[@stevehefferan56709]

Unrelated, but are you glad that everyone hates Maroon 5 as much as you do now?

[@geranball9678]

How dare they fuck over spongebob

[@spritelady4669]

Stephen Hefferan I think EVERYONE is glad that everyone else hates them now.

[@TacticalBerry]

asking the real questions

[@SRLovesPandas1]

Girls Like You was the straw that broke the camel’s back

[@spo0o0ky]

Really makes you think when people are finally realizing in 2019 that Maroon 5 sucks.

[@Mr96POP]

It’s crazy how we’re at the point where pop song reviews are actually the surprise from Todd. Really, ONE-HIT WONDERLAND has become his main series in my subconscious.

[@MetalSandman999]

That's because: 1. People pay for One-Hit Wonderland requests, and: 2. I think they only release like one or two pop songs a year now so it's slim pickin's lol

[@elbermoramontero2769]

I'm more eager for trainwreckords and ohw that regular reviews (a new top ten would be nice tho)

[@EpicB]

Popular music has just become so dull lately. One Hit Wonderland is a lot more fun. Trainwreckords too.

[@Cthulu1985]

@@MetalSandman999 you have a point, but your second statement is a bit iffy. Yes, the Pop ecosystem doesn't release as much as before, but looking at his Top 10 lists, as well as other reviewers like Needle Drop and Buckley, it seems like Todd has left a lot to pass his radar.

[@achair650]

It seems that it's time to visit the past for a while, I've been doing it for years. I know the mainstream can be better, and there is so much good shit from the 80's-00's. It would be cool to see him review some bands like REM or pearl jam Two suggestions for trainwrecords: REM: around the sun Pearl jam: No code

[@JimmyneutronwasokayIguess]

“Not catchy enough to be pop, not edgy enough to be alternative”. This is honestly the perfect description of all the worst pop music right now. Indie rock and hip hop did get some new life injected into them by going commercial but they’re so integrated into pop by now, that it doesn’t really mean anything anymore. I can’t act like this is always a bad thing, some of the most interesting progressions in music have come from odd combinations. Yet more often it feels like legit people selling out hard and bright new acts copying genres they’ve never heard of. Music streaming and the access of information may have caused this but honestly I just want pop to find a new direction. Otherwise it will just die out harder than it already has

[@DiamondAxeStudiosMusic]

Well, Todd, you're officially prolific enough to attract the attention of Halsey. Um... good for you?

[@TheNukaColaMan10]

Diamond Axe Studios Music wat

[@joebeard4498]

@@TheNukaColaMan10 it's good he's out there but it wasn't a positive interaction

[@lydiavalentino]

oh hi sean

[@henryam503]

Todd is God

[@nessesaryschoolthing]

Prolific =/= famous. Prolific means that you produce a lot of content, not that it's high profile. Sorry, I know that wasn't really relevant to your point.

[@EmperorTigerstar]

It's getting to the point to where after 2 weeks, "Todd withdrawal" officially begins. Can't wait to watch!

[@mojoforthewin3069]

I already watched the 1421 video! Please, stop following me!

[@padricbrady6775]

Wow didn’t expect to see you here

[@Evennekyrd]

Hey I think you're confused you're interest is history and stuff todd does music and stuff you can't have two interests you have to pick one. :)

[@Salamon2]

Hmm, I'm wondering if I got recommended to your channel over a year ago because we were both fans of Todd in the Shadows. I subscribed to your channel, but now I'm wondering how much being fans of the same stuff on KZbin effects the algorhythm's suggestions for us...

[@ghostofabulletproducciones5748]

I subscribed to you a couple of days ago!

[@kolbykauffman4180]

So, Lorde is to pop what Nirvana was to rock, in terms of tonal shift

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

I look forward to Todd's future video essays on the similar destruction left in her wake.

[@MetalSandman999]

But then Lorde came out with "Green Light," which would be like if Nirvana released "Cherry Pie" or "Dr. Feel Good" lol

[@alanmooreisrasputinreincar8106]

More like lorde is to pop what 3 days grace are to rock in terms of tonal shift

[@Lifesizemortal]

Funny because I found her just as generic as everything else, with zero tonal shift

[@EpicB]

I eagerly await the "Lorde Killed My Career" casualties on the One Hit Wonderland and Trainwreckords episodes from the 2030s.

[@GradySmith]

Todd, the existential despair you were hinting at with your reflections about why you still listen to pop music was just... so good. You bring a real care and passion to what you do, and I love getting to enjoy it.

[@fussick7121]

Grady!!!

[@Jasondirt]

I know this is a older post. ..... .... But it is kinda cool to see Grady Smith in a comment section. Todd must be the big dog inn the world of music reviews. Cause there is a few big creators/channels in the comment sections

[@jenniewalker6651]

@@Jasondirt i just had the same moment, the weirdest double take seeing that

[@Ciouden]

@@Jasondirt had the same reaction lol

[@eris6676]

I agree. His explanation actually helped me make the transition from being just a classic rock nerd to being a full-on amateur music critic, and that’s been helping me get through quarantine since it started.

[@raquiroll]

I'll never forgive society for letting Halsey lead Lorde's movement. Good piece. Also, as the self-proclaimed #1 Ellie Goulding fan this side of the pond I think you should know the U is silent and the name's just pronounced "Golding" but that's beyond the point. Meanwhile, calling CHVRCHES ch-vur-ches is just funny at this point, considering the band members jokingly do it themselves now.

[@kenziealtarrowhead]

Don't get me wrong, I like Lorde, but just because someone creates a certain tone or sub-genre doesn't mean that it's THEIR movement (I'd argue that if someone started this "movement", it'd be Lana Del Rey, she's bitter but electrifying at the same time ). The reason why Halsey is successful isn't because she's "leading" Lorde's movement, but because her music is a mix of pop alternative (also people don't make sense, if Halsey is nothing more then a pop artist, why do people keep saying she copied Lorde when Lorde isn't a pop artist???)

[@ezramead5066]

@@kenziealtarrowhead I think the main difference between Lana and Lorde and the reason Lorde is considered to have started this movement is their early hits. If you compare "Summertime Sadness" to "Royals," Summertime sadness is far more to the pop side where Royals is to the alternative side. Most of Lana's and Lorde's full catalogs were equally alternative, but the influential songs are what really made the difference. And since Lorde's hit turned out to be the alternative one, she is credited with having that influence over pop in general.

[@jacobwebb8818]

That's crazy that as a Halsey fan you named all of the bands/singers I love... I used to be an Ellie Goulding fan before she kinda disappeared for a while

[@someoneelse4579]

@A G If Mazzy Star's Fade is alternative, does that make Taylor Swift's Lover (song) alternative since it's so heavily inspired by it?

[@benjamintillema3572]

@@ezramead5066 Summertime Sadness is rather melancholic and chill. But the problem is that Summertime Sadness wasn't the smash success, an upbeat remix of the song was the break out. Lana doesn't make radio friendly hits (as far as I know, I've mostly listened to her earlier work but from what I can tell/have heard she hasn't varied too much from Born to Die's formula). So yes, she undoubtedly was influential and ushered in a new generation of pop stars, but Royals was a critique of pop music that blew up so drastically and unexpectedly that we still feel the ripples today.

[@kathrynvincent1563]

Halsey claims she's Anti-pop...but most of her work is electric pop...

[@Иблис96]

lol shes trying her hardest to stand out but when she has no personality or much talent its just baffling

[@adriangeremia]

Kathryn Vincent what she then consider herself then? rap? Lmao

[@StephenShepherdOfficial]

She is currently one of my favorite female singer-songwriters to listen to, but she really should just let her work speak for itself. (Ex: Be quasi-mysterious like Sia or something) Then again, maybe that's her entire point & she just sucks at expressing that...

[@kathrynvincent1563]

@@StephenShepherdOfficial Yeah I love her work but I'm not a big fan about her as a personality.

[@ToddKeck98]

And *trap* of all genres. Any trap song would make dubstep sound like it was written by Mozart.

[@hannahmoran3660]

This honestly feels like a weird full-circle moment. I listened to Halsey in high school because she was the edgy, artsy person that all the Tumblr girls loved (ESPECIALLY “Colors”... the section about reds, blues, lilac skies, purple not being for you? Sixteen year old me ate that up) and now that I’ve kinda moved on from her music a bit, she’s hit the big time. Also it’s so cool that she took the time to actually RESPOND to your criticism as opposed to just being like, “You’re wrong because you don’t think it’s perfect”. Maybe I need to revisit the “Hold Me Down” girl...

[@steviecopeland]

I hate that you brought up Colors because I had flashbacks to that fuckin Gravity Falls AMV

[@bornstellar-makes-eternal-5136]

I love her old music, her new stuff is not great. All her songs before Hopeless Fountain Kingdom were good, and when she finally released hopeless fountain kingdom I got excited only to be disappointed by a new sound. Definitely revisit the “Hold Me Down” and “Ghost” girl, she had more personality than “Without Me”

[@CarlsCozyCorner]

@@steviecopeland YOU TOO?

[@steviecopeland]

@@CarlsCozyCorner SOMEONE ELSE KNOWS ABOUT IT AAAAAAAAAAAAA

[@aaravos4371]

@@bornstellar-makes-eternal-5136 I actually think the album without me is in is amazing. It is experimental but with personality and it genuinely makes me emotional at points (i wasnt a halsey fan before it but now I am)

[@alexandersong5753]

the only reason she has hit number one is because she replied to your tweet the powers of the music gods are with you

[@vocalcalibration8033]

Todd didn't brish with fame... Halsey brushed with the divine.

[@benjaminolson7206]

Todd is a much bigger celebrity in my consciousness.

[@GarfieldiusPrime]

@@benjaminolson7206 yup

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

Todd must’ve done her a favor by predicting: “Halsey will NEVER get a number 1 hit anytime soon!”.

[@jacquelinebairos5474]

.l😅​@@vocalcalibration8033

[@meiday154]

That whole thing with Ed Sheeran and Ellie Goulding was the most amusing pop beefs in a while. Plus Don't and On My MInd are just great songs in general

[@cocolime6496]

honestly half the reason I like "happier" is because he sounds so miserable in that one. hearing "don't" and the story behind it extended my contempt for him as a songwriter to him as a person.

[@synthmass]

Don't forget the rumor that Marina's "Better Than That" was about Ellie 🙃

[@V4Now]

To this day, I don't understand that chicks musical appeal🤔

[@IABITVpresents]

I am rewatching this after so many years and I thought Ellie Goulding was firing back at Calvin Harris.

[@RinkoDinko]

Halsey is the type of girl to post "DND, don't ask me what's wrong or ill block you" and then get mad when no one asks her whats wrong

[@bartholen]

DND = Dungeons and Dragons?

[@RinkoDinko]

@@bartholen do not disturb

[@Seth9809]

Did her character die before the epic final boss battle?

[@bartholen]

@@Seth9809 She probably rolled 2 nat 1's in a row on death saving throws

[@RinkoDinko]

@@Seth9809 no she lucked out and rolled a 20 somehow but then proceeded to choke on poison berries right after

[@googolplexians]

I just realized that Halsey is an anagram for Ashley

[@lucapeyrefitte6899]

Ashley Butts I didn't realize that

[@whodatninja439]

Halsey Butts

[@madison3514]

Well holy shit

[@hyperionnova2854]

because that's her real name - Ashley Frangipane

[@jamiekamihachi3135]

That was probably more interesting than this song.

[@saintdane05]

You talking about Lorde so much in this video makes me want to go listen to melodrama again.

[@StephenShepherdOfficial]

Such a great album

[@Betta66]

Him talking about Lorde makes me want him to make a damn Lorde review already

[@miahthorpatrick1013]

Melodrama was a little too underrated for sure :(

[@nma3519]

@@miahthorpatrick1013 very true easily one of my favorite artists of all time

[@ManojSharma-zd2ef]

@@nma3519 me too

[@loekos]

im still so astounded that the entire pop landscape for nearly the past decade was radically transformed by a 16 year old girl from new zealand (edit: also colors absolutely deserves more credit it's so good)

[@LG_Hakubi]

Which is so funny because another girl from New Zealand was posed to make it big that same time. Who knows what pop would be like now if people took to Kimbra's pop gone jazzy gone eclectic style

[@loekos]

@@LG_Hakubi very true. i actually listened to kimbra's latest album last year and i loved it a ton (lightyears, everybody knows, top of the world, past love and like they do on the TV are incredible songs)

[@leonconnelly5303]

No it obviously wasn’t changed by her. She was just a forbearer of the death of pop stardom. Pop music doesn’t sound like Lorde in the way that 5 years after Kurt Cobain had a rave in a school gym every single Rock band was trying to emulate him.

[@Jt1Torso1Winabego]

Honestly, I think Todd plays up how much she contributed, things were already changing.

[@LG_Hakubi]

@@loekos I kept up with Kimbra too and I agree, the last album was really nice. Human, top of the world, like they do on tv, recovery and version of me are my faves on the album, but there weren't any that I outright didn't like, like with her second album (Kimbra attempting to take back the Pop narrative by standing out or just really into experimenting? Maybe a bit of both) I just know I saw her in Va last year opening for Odessa and (maybe because I don't get going to an EDM concert) she clearly should've been the main event. The college crowd loooooooved Top of the World

[@EdslilNeko]

Having paused the video to read her responses... it doesn't really seem like that bad of an interaction? I mean, I don't know anything about her except that I like a lot of her music, so maybe I'm missing some tone here that i would recognize if i followed her more closely, but it seemed like a pretty chill exchange to me. Todd: provides criticism Halsey: responds to criticism with explanation of intent Todd: panics and tells her he really did like the song Halsey: thanks him for liking it Seems pretty relaxed to me? Am I missing something?

[@ienzio7795]

Late but I'm responding anyways: No, you didn't miss anything, it was just good old anxiety from Tod that made him panic

[@uneek35]

You feel put on the spot when the subject of something your discussing can hear you.

[@julias.7534]

You must face the mortifying ordeal of being known in order to receive the consequences of being loved.

[@bespectacledheroine7292]

I guess this is totally her choice but I would’ve DMed Todd in her place. There’s a certain pressure assigned to an interaction with a celebrity that’s not adulation centric. If you’re criticizing somebody and they respond, all the collective eyes of their following are suddenly on you and making complaints about their music suddenly seems like a far less attractive option. I for one would freak a bit, I can guarantee you. I suppose I would call this a power imbalance. Todd sounded intimidated by her celebrity and I really can’t blame him. I’m not gonna say Halsey is some kind of manipulative person but as a famous person you should know the power you wield. If responding to his criticisms was her sole goal entering his DMs should’ve sufficed.

[@Aleph3575]

@@bespectacledheroine7292 Todd had every reason to be intimidated, have you seen what happens to people who criticize some kinds of artists? Their fans go nuts and eviscerate them. And i'm not gonna lie, it definitely reads like she was trying to draw her fans' attention to him if he didn't back off.

[@wyattcorbin1629]

Now this looks like a job for Todd So everybody just follow Todd ‘Cause we need a little controversy ‘Cause it feels to empty without Todd

[@crimsonwizahd2358]

Two trailer park girls go round the outside, round the outside, round the outside..........

[@dannymusic]

Good video, Todd; I'm glad I took a break from reading all 42 volumes of the original Dragon Ball manga to watch this

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

I’M watching the anime. Which is more work because there’s filler so it takes more time. So ha.

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

I just finished the second arc.

[@fireburn264]

There are only 16 volumes of the original Dragon Ball.... they are on my shelf

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

It’s been a while sense I read it, but I remember something like 24.

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

Well actually there’s probably more. You need to add the “dragonball z” vollumes. Because there is no dragonball z manga, the original japanese manga was all called dragonball. The anime and viz devided it up. So really both your z vollumes and your “original” vollumes count as vollumes of “the original dragonball manga” as written and illistrated by akira torriama. So there.

[@DiamondAxeStudiosMusic]

I'm fairly confident that Halsey only dated G-Eazy because G-Eazy makes Halsey look tolerable by comparison

[@lydiavalentino]

Even then that's probably why it failed - G-Eazy is only is good as his features, and when Halsey sounds miserable on "Him & I", well...this happens.

[@michaeladkins6]

Only celebrity breakups guarantee pop hits now. When Sean and Dua Lipa break up, she will have one hell of a good album.

[@whitneymouse]

Michael Adkins drama doesn’t necessarily = good album. I’m sure it will be because it’s Dua Lipa, but like, fake Reputation for example. Taylor’s normal diss tracks on boys she broke up with and diss tracks to “breaking up” with the media and people who don’t like her. It’s her most disjointed album to date.

[@StephenShepherdOfficial]

@@michaeladkins6 who is Sean? Just Googled, and her boyfriend is named Isaac

[@MysRyuza]

Wheeeze

[@cypher515]

It's weirdly heartening to find out you freak out when celebs actually respond to you. Considering I've freaked out at least twice when YOU responded to ME on the Twitter. (I think this is a generic social anxiety 'thing'.) I also have experience backpedaling like mad when, for example, Lindsay responds to one of my comments.

[@ids5621]

Being shocked when someone more popular acknowledges you has nothing to do with social anxiety lool

[@BlueScarabGuy]

@@ordinarychef I kind of agree, but conversely, the random Twitter person (in general, not necessarily Todd specifically here) sometimes talk about celebrities without realizing a) that they are also humans with feelings that can be hurt, and b) that they probably didn't get famous for no reason at all and they have some idea of what they're doing. Like, I obviously don't believe in "don't criticize unlike you think you can do better", but I think you understand what I mean. That said, yeah, even if the random Twitter person is the instigating party, the actual celebrity holds far more social power and therefore shouldn't make a habit of engaging that directly so as not to send the mobs out.

[@guidotron82]

Age of anxiety. The X-Men event we deserve.

[@RenaldyCalixte]

😂😂😂

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

You have no idea.

[@spiv]

didnt Todd say once that he saw an interview with Mike Posner that sounded like he saw Todd's review? My guy gets the attention from the stars lol

[@slamwall9057]

And powfu commented on his death bed review

[@zcalhoun3638]

@Slam Wall wait rlly😳😳

[@thehopeofeden597]

It's nice to know TiTS and RC are still buddies. And seeing Todd analyzing the genre and the little history of where we started out in like 2008 made me feel feelings. And that twitter story blew my mind like...wow.

[@RhyperiorRanger]

It took me a second to realize that TiTS stood for Todd in The Shadows 😂

[@AnInsideJoke]

Well of course they're still buddies, it's really hard not to like TiTS.

[@Gadzinisko]

Rappers care more about BuTTS to be honest, but TiTS also get their fair share of love I guess.

[@haleymist09]

Amazingeden, same.

[@HYBRIDZHQ]

@@Gadzinisko BuTTS - Bob under the table?

[@yaunas5670]

“Now this looks like a job for me!” Wait wrong song

[@theblackbaron4119]

Now everyone just follow me. We need a little controversy.

[@alexthebadjokemaker7328]

Cuz it feels so empty without me

[@Jason_Altea]

@@theblackbaron4119 Cause it feels so empty without me.

[@epicgam2317]

Guess who's back, in america... wait, wrong song.

[@EpicB]

I'm just wishing Todd would have played the Eminem song over the credits. When he reviewed Closer in 2016 he played the Nine Inch Nails song over the credits so he missed a chance for a similar joke here.

[@toetotipthatsabart5048]

Halsey really irritates me, not because of her songs, but because of her attitude and persona. She seems to lean into this pseudo-deep lyricism where everything she says has a whole story behind it, but no one can really pin what the story is. She seems to have a clear understanding herself, but her thought process and execution are, at best, disconnected, and at worst, nonexistent. I hated the pop star era of a bunch of flashy, provocative, loud stars, but now I yearn for a time where BPM was above 5 and costumes weren’t just a loose tank top and underwear. Even her SNL performance with that whole set, she seemed like she just blended in, as if the words behind her were said by her instead of g-easy. A long black dress, against a black background. She should’ve been contrasting. Wearing colors, or white. It’s simple color theory, and it seems like stylists and musical artists of the pop era knew that. I’m not gonna say her songs don’t come from a genuine place, since she does seem like a genuine person, but there may just be too much conflict of themes behind the scenes, or she just simply doesn’t know how to craft a narrative.

[@StephenShepherdOfficial]

Your first paragraph really hits home as the most valid criticism about her music. It doesn't irritate me, at this point, but I can understand why it would irritate someone else.

[@MrPeaTearGryfin]

I think you just described all major pop musicians in the last decade. They all think they are super deep and meaningful by not adding musical accompaniment to their tracks and singing in poems, but they really come across like pretentious dumbasses.

[@Cthulu1985]

@@MrPeaTearGryfin Like a really overblown and kitschy beat poetry night.

[@timmaximilian9286]

Toe to Tip That's a Bart her weird persona is probably a result lf a weird life. She has bipolar disorder, was a drug addict for a while, tryed to commit suicide, got bullyed as a child and kicked out by her parents and lifed on the streets for a while, had a miscarriege and has some sort of sickness that causes her pain and made her underwent multiple surgerys and has to take prescription drugs. That kind of life forms a weird persona

[@Seth9809]

Isn't that kinda in a way what System of Down is? I mean, System of Down songs, either mean like six different things, or nothing and six things at once. And yet we love them..Why is that?

[@ForbiddenFruit73]

Ironically Lorde ended up hurting herself by killing pop since her second album was seen by a lot of her fans as being too popy.

[@vocalcalibration8033]

First Mike Posner supposedly talks about Todd's review of Cooler than me in an interview. Next Halsey actively acknowledges and responds to Todds criticisms on Twitter, implying her awareness of him. What's next I wonder? Who is the next celebrity, current or former, who will acknowledge Todd? Are we gonna' continue to go up on the relevency chart, or take a step down? Oh I do look forward to where we'll go next!

[@Imperatoryvette]

VocalCalibration My bet is at one point Taylor Swift will write a song about Todd.

[@RyanStorey1231]

Yvette - I'm convinced that "You Need To Calm Down" was written about Todd (the first verse, at least) and that's why Todd was so harsh on it.

[@RenaldyCalixte]

I hope the next artist isn't an emo rapper.

[@someoneelse4579]

@@Imperatoryvette I mean he put ...Read For It? and Look What You Made Me Do as the two worst hit songs of 2017 (I'm not saying they're particularly good songs, but there were objectively much worse songs deserving to be there) and didn't put Delicate on the 2018's best hits list, so what do you expect?

[@santiagobauza4257]

@@RenaldyCalixte Nailed it. Against your wishes, but nailed it.

[@daisykaji]

First Mike Posner, now Halsey? Who else will Todd provoke into responding to him?

[@JohnnyBurnes]

LMFAO?

[@cindymarie9672]

HOLY-- WHAT ABOUT MIKE POSNER?!

[@TessFrost-SynthWorks]

and july Mike Posner?????

[@the-NightStar]

This actually reminds me of something that happened. Back when I had a twitter account, about 2 years ago, there was an indie horror movie I watched from an on-demand streaming service, and it was just complete fucking garbage. So I started railing on every way the movie irritated me, and suddenly out of nowhere comes the director of the movie that somehow found my twitter post by searching the name of his own movie and just going on and on about this whole "well, i'm too busy being famous and accomplished now so of course some nobody imbecile like you can't appreciate the brilliance of my movie, i'm just so much better than you that you don't even bother me, thou are like an ant before my might" yadda yadda bullshit long after I stopped replying to him. I was floored by not only the fact that someone who made such a piece of irritatingly bad, soul sucking garbage movie has nothing better to do than zero in on maybe the ONE guy talking about his movie (and would probably ever want to discuss it ever again), but that the "professional" director of a "professional" movie has the time to just orbit around me over how uncultured and rotten of a human being I was and how far I was beneath him for not liking his movie, spending all this time to tell me 88 million ways that I should bow down to him and prostrate myself before his genius. It was truly surreal that a grown man who supposedly is now an industry professional was devolving to the level of an 8 year old child who DEMANDED that a random person "take back" the things he said about his movie. I just spent the rest of the day, confused and amused by the weirdness of the whole event.

[@EpicB]

Well, Todd has had at least a couple One Hit Wonderland subjects respond to him.

[@Minam0]

She has the voice of a chamber choir 8th grader that gets all the show tunes solos.

[@AnInsideJoke]

Honestly, Halsey keeping most of the details vague and everything being a bit nebulous on the relationship front is probably WHY it's such a big hit -- it's a blank slate that listeners can project their own failed relationships onto without much effort, or even failed non-relationships (like where one person agrees to a 'keep it casual' relationship when they want something more, thinking if they work hard enough, the other will change their mind, despite person #2 clearly saying they have no interest in a relationship. Or, just an over-dramatic person who thinks 2 dates = a meaningfull relationship). It also helps that she claims to be an alternative artist, despite being very much NOT (speaking as someone who listens to alternative/alternative rock), nebulous as the genre might be, which gives her a bit more "cred" in people's eyes, since pop (for female artists anyway) is still seen as bubbly, pink, teeny-boppers. But, I've never really noticed or cared much about Halsey outside of that Colors song that I also liked(which I really only liked for the video and it's daddy kink twist). Hell, I didn't even realize until this video that she's so tiny.

[@ToastyMozart]

It's like boy-band love songs but for people who are miserable rather than easily infatuated.

[@YouCanCallMeXoe]

I wish vague songs that people can fill in the blanks of were outlawed for a few years. Mostly because I wanna see just how much the industry breaks trying to write something with detailed, personal meaning the whole album through. >;3c

[@ezramead5066]

I'm not sure your point that it's a hit because it's vague and people can put their own experiences in it holds water in the face of Thank u, next. That song was extremely specific and the story behind it was very public. I think both specificity and vagueness have their merits in different places, but it's clear Thank u, next was far more of a hit than Without me. I also would argue that Halsey can still be considered "alternative". As someone who has always loved the alternative genre, I have a lot of opinions on what is and isn't alternative. The way I see it, because it is such a broad net to cast, alternative exists as a spectrum. On one end, you have alt rock, stuff that evolved from Nirvana and grunge, like Green Day, The Killers, Weezer, whoever you like. In the middle, as the sound gets softer and less rock-y, you get (my favorite stuff growing up) bands like Vampire Weekend, Florence + the Machine, and Alt-J. Then you progress into the poppier side of alternative (which can also be called Indie Pop), where you find Lorde, Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey. (I'm trying to come up with one's you might know since a lot of it is very indie and obscure) (Also Billie is definitely alternative anti-pop, don't come for me if you've only heard "bad Guy," probably her poppiest song) Halsey fits into this pop end of the alternative spectrum, and while I agree "Without Me" is a pop song through and through, most of her music ("Bad at Love, "Heaven in Hiding," "Devil in Me") has the same alternative sensibilities that can be traced through the whole spectrum, and be called alternative. If you compare her catalog to ones like Ariana or Taylor or Katy (the bubbly pink popstars), they are very different and that's how Halsey's indie cred can be attributed to her.

[@lefromage2001]

lol i love alt too and i like to joke that "as a alt fan we do not claim her, we give her to the pop fans" since literally every other alt rock fan i know thinks shes pop as well

[@duke86fan]

"i wish halsey would just be full pop" *makes her best album with trent fucking rezner*

[@haunted14]

That album and the short film that accompanies it deals with her pregnancy. They're both fantastic.

[@pinkgirl5041]

I used to be a huge fan of Halsey - I loved her first album (and still think is brilliant) and had an amazing time seeing her first tour (still one of my favourite concert experiences) but I listened to her second album and there were two or three songs that I genuinely wanted to listen to again - I’ve not been into her since

[@moonlight_sparkle6659]

I honest to god think she sold out bc just like you, I LOVED Badlands and thought it was one of her best but none of her current stuff tops that, not even close. I really used to like her but now I think she's just way too pretentious and is just cocky overall, the fame got into her head

[@pinkgirl5041]

International Playboy update: I listened to her album from this year, Manic and although it’s not as good as Badlands I really enjoyed it - maybe there’s still hope for her to be really good again

[@PalomaDreams17]

She's not really "bad at love", she's a bipolar 21/22-year-old whose had a few unsuccessful relationships. She's honestly doing pretty alright, but that's a worse song, I guess.

[@perfectly_cromulent]

*24 year old

[@PalomaDreams17]

@@perfectly_cromulent Already? I'm too young to have time slip away from me like this

[@pinkopat]

"I'm Pretty Alright At Love" available now on iTunes

[@vocalcalibration8033]

@@pinkopat I'd listen to it.

[@capngeeoff]

I'd totally buy a song called "I'm Honestly Doing Pretty Alright"

[@calebherbold8128]

Now I wait for Halsey to get in these comments

[@mikerivera373]

I knew Todd would have to talk about his twitter beef with Halsey sooner or later

[@murciadoxial8056]

what I want is that halsey disses todd in a song, that would be so incredible it would be fucking surreal

[@Fuziontony123]

It didn’t really look like a beef, she was just passive aggressive lol

[@Aforementioned]

"Call me a shallow critic, if you want..." Ok, Todd in the Shallows.

[@Hellohello-kf6qw]

Okay, I know I'm super late commenting on this but I think Todd's comic book/pop music analogy is actually genius, pointing out the way both edgy superheroes and edgy pop stars look cool and angsty on the outside but aren't all that deep on the inside is a great comparison

[@heymistercarter.]

You know, I was thinking your next review would be a dual review of 7 Rings by Ariana Grande and Bury a Friend by Billie Eilish. Those kinda seem like songs you should do together. Speaking of which, if you want a REAL American equivalent of Lorde, go look Billie Eilish up. Considering Bury a Friend is getting to be such a hit right now, who knows, maybe we could end up having her get the career Lorde should've gotten over here.

[@mikerivera373]

Why compare those two songs though? What do they specifically have in common that would warrant a comparison? Usually the common link is subject matter (Firework vs Born the Way, Hello vs Hotline Bling, etc), artists (What Do You Mean vs Stitches, I’m the One vs Wild Thoughts, etc) or both are huge rock songs (Counting Stars vs Demons, Feel it Still vs Thunder). I don’t see what 7 Rings and Bury a Friend have in common.

[@Amascut]

Mike’s Music Reviews Likely the drama going on about Ariana basically “burying a friend” by cutting out one of the people she bought one of the ‘7 rings’ for and not giving her credit on some tracks or something. It’s a weird comparison to make but I guess I can see a connection?

[@StephenShepherdOfficial]

I've been told I should look Billie up and listen to some of her stuff, but I don't think she has reached Lorde-level "Royals"-type success and recognition yet.

[@heymistercarter.]

Mike’s Music Reviews I guess it’s like what he did for the What Do You Mean Vs. Stitches video, where he’s talking about the older, more established music act of the two (Ariana) compared with the rising relative newcomer (Billie) and how they do their style of music here. Like one’s your classic pop princess who’s kinda doing a trap-based track with a sample that you could argue is more in line with current music of today (Ariana), while the other is a more stripped-down, creepy alternative track with an influence in horror movies, something more outside the norm for pop these days but fitting at the same time (Billie). At least that’s how I see it.

[@courtneyjohnsonhaber4591]

I will never understand the push to make Billie Elish famous

[@bigguys45s29]

But, wasn’t the original version of this song by Eminem?

[@Jason_Altea]

@aidan's angels NOW THIS LOOKS LIKE A JOB FOR ME

[@Ravie1]

@aidan's angels Defiantly the better version. I'll take two trailer park girls over Halsey any day.

[@epicgam2317]

Two dark magician girls go around the outside, around the outside, around the outside... wait, wrong song.

[@Ravie1]

@@epicgam2317 I just look that up and holly shit XD

[@epicgam2317]

Ravie glad I could convert someone to the cult of LK.

[@diamondinmyeye6160]

I saw Halsey in concert in late 2017. She had major stage presence and personality. She could definitely be a superstar. I haven't been to lots of concerts, so take that for what you will, but she did her job brilliantly.

[@Fuziontony123]

She still needs to work on her singing. It’s pretty bad mane

[@minoyd]

Todd, I respect you a lot. But i can't deny that i choked when you said "chuh-verches." It's just Churches with an extra scoop of hipster

[@munjee2]

Lorde killed superman should be a shirt

[@linusdn2777]

The fact that i haven't heard of any of these songs or any of the songs on your top 10 list shows just how much out of touch i am with pop music

[@ToddKeck98]

Right?? Listening to this garbage made me listen to actual indie music. In fact, I've been doing this since 2016 and I can't just get out of the happy and underrated 6/7-digit artists I've been listening to.

[@MTdaVoid]

It's not really a mark of shame, my friend. It's hard to keep up with all the stuff that's coming out...

[@shroomie108]

The 90s ruined pop music for me. I like some 80s pop but 90s pop is when pop music went down hill and hasnt recovered. My only knowledge of current pop comes from todd.

[@ToddKeck98]

​@@shroomie108 I hate the 90s too even though I liked a few songs from it, especially that music nowadays resemble late 90s music in general. It's because I'm a big fan of the disco era from 1975 to 84 so I believe it's the best times that music underwent. Then came the late 80s which kind of ruined it for me because of too much electro.

[@linusdn2777]

@@MTdaVoid Yeah lol im not ashamed at all...im just bored

[@dextrodemon]

pls tank girl aged so well it makes reality look embarrassing

[@riahlexington]

😂😂

[@Selisedela]

damn it todd, i like sleep too. And not thinking about my ex.

[@HunterLyonIsAPerson]

If you're willing to go down the rabbit hole of why music is in the current state it has been for the last 20 years or so, I'd listen to some of Mark Fisher's related work on capitalist realism as it intersects with pop music. It's been eating my brain a lot these last few weeks and he's coming at things from more of a underground music culture background, but I don't think we can't really understand pop culture these days without accelerationism as a tool of understanding.

[@sovietcanuckistanian]

That twitter plug was missing the most important factor: The daily Amydog pictures

[@DiamondAxeStudiosMusic]

13:18 That subtitle is missing about nineteen letter "i"s in the word "live" there, buddy

[@FalconPain]

Nah, you can only find that level of "i" in your "live" in Regina Spektor's "Us".

[@FalconPain]

@Yoshifan9511 I can't liiiiiiiiive... if living is without yooou...

[@stephenemmett9753]

@@FalconPain Can't giiiiiiiiiiiive... I can't giiive anymooooooooore...

[@kolbykauffman4180]

I've been waiting for the moment an artist hits you back with an answer to the questions you prose. Ooooh, das good

[@murciadoxial8056]

now that this step has been accomplished, we need to get to the next level... Halsey makes a diss track directed to todd

[@cjkillem9588]

Personally, I think everything off of Badlands is better than Without me.

[@m3rrys0ngstr3ss]

"Drive", "Hurricane" and "Young God" all still make me happy.

[@D00dlebugInc]

Hurricane and Gasoline are amazing. Badlands was a great album all in all

[@angelacanedit]

Damn right.

[@sheren_b]

I really feel you on how the pop star is kind of dead so I feel like you would love Kpop music bc it’s where that mythologized, larger than life superhero artist format (with REALLY good music) still exists at least that’s what I’ve found. I also couldn’t help crack up over the backpeddling with Halsey. (colors really is so good)

[@gievalf6607]

Larger than life exactly

[@lunatikkrazieazylum6226]

Guess who's back. Back again. Todd is back. Tell a friend.

[@jeniferjoseph9200]

To say that Lorde started the darkness trend is to forget about Radioactive, World on Fire, and Somebody that I Used to Know

[@AgnessaMo]

I wouldn't really count "Somebody That I Used To Know" since the song sounded like nothing that was on the charts - I know it was a big hit, but it was full on indie and was always perceived as such, didn't really evoke change. "Radioactive" is a watered down, but still rock. Lorde showed a different approach to music, was anti-pop while singing an undeniably pop song. I suppose that you can't blame one artist and one song for changing the landscape completely (unless it's Nirvana), but if I were to do this, I'd also choose "Royals".

[@jeniferjoseph9200]

I think you can’t look at a trend without seeing its cohorts at the same time. Radioactive may have rockfish elements but it’s just as much of a pop song as Royals if not more. I certainly heard it more than Royals

[@Vanessa-xx3yz]

@@AgnessaMo Totally agree. Also, radioactive is an abomination of sound and creativity and I'm honestly triggered that anyone would imply that this "song" is influential in any way.

[@mikelmontoya2965]

@@jeniferjoseph9200 Royals is alternative pop, hip hop and electronic, Radioactive is alternative pop rock and electronic.

[@AndeHart]

Radioactive?... You mean the gibberish and screeching song that sounds like an entirely different lyric? No. Please no.

[@cashnelson2306]

Ch-vurches? Huh, I always figured it was just "churches"

[@RobinDBank-yj4lw]

Cash Nelson I’m like 90% sure it’s just churches

[@plastichouseplant]

It's pronounced Churches but spelled with a V so they're easier to find if you Google them.

[@whodatninja439]

@@RobinDBank-yj4lw thats how i pronounce it. also STOP SLEEPING ON CHVRCHES

[@ToddKeck98]

Just like the several artists with the name "FVCK" or "Fuvk".

[@Reecer77]

It is absolutely just pronounced Churches, it's just that not a soul on this planet can resist saying Ch-vurches.

[@whitezombified]

She's just a millennial Pink, don't see all the hype

[@sigh824]

I don’t see the comparison besides the hair tbh

[@whitezombified]

Tries to have the "cool rebellious tough girl" aesthetic and sings about heart break

[@laurenflowerslament]

@@whitezombified except pink is authentic, has interesting fun songs, can sing, and isn't boring

[@whitezombified]

Yeet if you say so

[@Vanessa-xx3yz]

@@laurenflowerslament Yes she was way more defined and when the label wanted her to conform, she stayed true to herself. She may not sell much anymore, but she was enjoying herself in her prime and never came off as a try-hard.

[@talsterenberg8244]

It's fitting that Halsey was in a relationship with G-Eazy, since they're both excruciatingly bland.

[@TahtahmesDiary]

😂🙌🏾

[@kieranstark7213]

m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/pam6d5djYrCgn7M

[@bornstellar-makes-eternal-5136]

Well, G-Easy is worse, he piggy backs off other artists way more than she does lmaoooo

[@alexperry8561]

As someone whose taste in music is pretty centered on pop, particularly early 2010's dance pop, this video put into words what I've been trying to express since 2016. Music doesn't feel happy anymore. If you're looking for upbeat positive music, it is so much harder to find it now than it was 10 years ago. Sonically, we're lower energy, and lyrically most music is either angsty, flexing wealth, or really sexual (which I like sometimes, just not all the time). I've mostly been going through old music since quarantine, since I really need positive happy music, and nothing being released is optimistic in energy. All I can say is I'm very excited for Normani's album.

[@progunjack5556]

Well thank god cuz in the early 2020's we get songs like "Adore You", "Levitating", "Good 4 U", "Butter", ect.

[@JohnnyBurnes]

Reading her response, she seems like a good sport, and is in my cool book because of it. Respect.

[@thehopeofeden597]

Todd...It's almost 1AM my guy. Get some sleep.

[@AFPgamer]

Awsamazing Eden depending on your internet and video quality, it can take multiple hours for KZbin to finish rendering and uploading the video. Also, it's possible to schedule uploads, so it's very possible for Todd to have posted this and have fallen asleep

[@morescodesup2087]

Yeah your probably right ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@wadespencer3623]

You think Todd sleeps?

[@trevorjungman4303]

@@AFPgamer Nope, he tweeted 2 minutes ago

[@PigeonShat]

it's only 10 pm here??

[@nikelson47]

Photosensitive Epilepsy warning around 4:46! Lights start flickering really quickly.

[@emily-pg2bi]

nikelson47 Thank you so much

[@nikelson47]

Got you, fam. 😁

[@evildoesnotsleep-x2b]

the song makes sense in my mind if i imagine she's singing from under the water in a bathtub. it's painful but it also has the numbness a breakup leaves you with

[@iridescentdemon]

The way you described why you enjoy western pop stars reminds me of kpop tbh. There are more groups than solo singers but the gaudy outfits and videos, every release being an event, and there's some real legendary names on the scene. One of the main differences that I love about kpop is the sheer variety of sounds. There are trends but there's never real fear of every single big group sounding the same bc they all develop their own sound to stand out from the crowd (some more successfully than others), but even within groups you'll usually find a ton of variety and members who hit that star quality factor even on their own. Its just a lot of fun when you find the artist(s) that speak to you

[@Champiness]

I was thinking “kind of a weird hit to review, Todd” but then I realized he could use it as an excuse to talk about his Twitter brush with Halsey during the intro

[@jimllc]

Also not that weird since it was number one.

[@kaorugirl180]

You know it's funny because I was gonna say to this, "I like some of halsey's songs but I don't listen to the pop station I listen to the alt rock station and that may matter." Honestly? YEAH this fits right in with alt rock on the radio stations for that. The rock part of alt rock seems missing a lot of the time now, it seems more a dumping ground for "other". Like my favorite halsey songs are stuff like "control" and "gasoline" (the most edgy, explicitly about mental illness) and "drive" (weird abstract thing with car sounds as instruments) which make sense for someone who would come in from the other side more. So you know what I think is happening? She is probably capable of playing both pop and alt. Just. The middle is really meh? But because of crossover appeal those are the ones that get the most airplay. I don't think I would give a shit about her if I heard those first. I definitely would get bored if I had to listen to a whole station of that at least I am listening to the Confusion Genre Station. This song has a whole verse of backtracking, now it's time for more trumpets. Bring on car noise song, I can put it on the car playlist for variety so kickstart my heart and radar love don't get me arrested. On another note? Tbh the way she acts actually reminds me more of how youtube celebrities are. Like if you scroll through her twitter it is roughly the same ratio of promotion of content, shitposts, personal and political tweets, and the way she responds to people seems similar.

[@Vanessa-xx3yz]

Local alternative radio stations are garbage and rarely play real alt music. Halsey is not alt music and were not changing what defines a genre just to fit an unformed blob into a niche cus it's too hard to see she has no real sound of her own, just pretentious.

[@nerdfightercommenter6969]

Wow thanks for perfectly articulating why I care so much about pop music!!

[@emanas2530]

I know right! He articulated that so well... The whole reconciliation between being a nerd and liking catchy choruses and danceable production.

[@jk-tw2ze]

Todd you are a man of impeccable taste and once again you nailed it on the head! "Blue" is without a doubt my favorite Halsey song. Well and "Roman Holiday" but yeah I wish she would embrace pop more. "Now or Never" was good too. It's not 1999 pop music isn't a guilty pleasure. You make deep pop that's enjoyable and Blue proves that.

[@RiffChris]

This is honestly one of Todd's best reviews imo! He perfectly describes the evolution of pop music during the last two decades in a thought out funny way!

[@okcomputer6861]

CHEVERCHES. CHEVERCHES. W H A T.

[@zombieedrea]

I'm a big Halsey fan and even I'm not really sure why this song is so huge. I mean, I don't dislike it. It's fun to belt while drunk. I can even relate to it a little bit. But it's very...meh? Also, being a fan of her since 2015, yeah, the alternative label fits for her (well, back then it did) because of how she started out. She was literally a tumblr girl who started off playing tiny venues supporting alternative acts and then gradually just grew bigger and bigger. And it's the music she grew up on. Her favorite band in high school was Panic! At the Disco, for god's sake, and in one interview she dedicates a good portion of it talking about how much of a fan she was of Taking Back Sunday. She's a goddamn emo kid! So, yeah, she's pop but she's got some shades of alternative in her. Which is why it's been interesting for me as a fan watching her trajectory as a pop star, cuz she doesn't seem like one. In fact I feel like that label just doesn't fit her. I kinda want her to go back to her blue hair days, I like it a little more than "popstar" Halsey. Mostly I'm just happy you finally reviewed a song of hers, though I always hoped for a Bad At Love review. This is just as good! Don't worry, I won't @ her. Kinda hoping she finds it on her own tho because that interaction y'all had made me laugh my ass off.

[@RyanStorey1231]

My question is: If those are her influences, shouldn't her music have more of a punch to it? Also, somehow I get the feeling that she's a regular viewer. She seems like the type of person who would watch music critics on KZbin.

[@emilandersen2195]

Oh, so she's a tumblr turd? That explains it...

[@bedtimeat8]

The pop music landscape is a bit bleak right now, the other options are dance tracks with minimal lyrics or country-pop. Thats why people are so obsessed with Ariana right now, because she is doing something interesting, good/bad depends on opinion but at least its something.

[@Seth9809]

I never understand how people who feel pain, can't, as far as I know, write better then me. Like all the time I see music and I'm like "This could be able anything or anyone." or "THATS NOT HOW YOU SPELL FRIENDS!" At least Halsey writes her own music? Right?

[@zombieedrea]

Jamie Ryan Storey Well, she may be an alt fan but think about it: how marketable are those aforementioned acts? How sustainable are they? Or maybe the better question is: is it her label/team that's pushing more towards pop? A funny thing about Todd mentioning New Americana is that not even Halsey herself digs that song. She straight-up admitted that she doesn't like it, yet it's on her debut album. Someone must've convinced her to keep it on there. I think she has quite a bit of control of what she's doing, but it's still the music biz. There's always going to be other people nudging you in a certain direction or encouraging you to make certain choices, whether you want it to or not. I suspect she wouldn't mind having a more alt sound, but let's be real, that's just not the money maker anymore, which is why her music doesn't have that "punch." I considered Badlands and her Room 93 EP to be alt-pop, and her latest album + Without Me to be her move into the more mainstream pop sound. And people will disagree with me on this but it's not bad pop (not to me). It's not anything like Ariana, Grande, no, but I don't think that's the intention. I think her intention is to carve her way into the mainstream in her own way. Maybe she'll embrace those alt roots now that she's a little more of an established artist, or maybe she won't. It's hard to say.

[@CakedUpDumptruck]

Oh sweet! A new Todd in the Shadows video on my birthday.

[@vvlettish8221]

happy b-day hot boy

[@ultibolt3286]

@@vvlettish8221 ok

[@echo9554]

Happy birthday!

[@XylessBrawl]

Nice critical role face

[@BlazikenWantsToKick]

That Paul McCartney song at the end was ABSOLUTE PERFECTION Todd, never change

[@rabidhog4912]

3 years later and I completely forgot about her

[@bmangaming846]

I would love to see you review full albums, like Trainrecords but about the good albums in a bands discography

[@JonNeimeister]

This discourse is old news at this point, but if Halsey is a Lorde-a-like then thank god we got Halsey cause the Billie-a-likes don't come anywhere close to her. Halsey is weirdly anti-pop in a way that would become mainstream years later, but her voice and lyrics were always strong. A far cry from, "if I whisper into an overcompressed mic and don't enunciate maybe I can be the next Billie"

[@AugustRx]

You talkin bout the Greedy girl? Tate mcRae or sum idk

[@paulkienitz]

The video I watched immediately after this one was "Industry Baby". You want pop stars to bring back the color and costumes and larger-than-life personas? Lil Nas X is the one trying on those shoes now. I hope you appreciate getting what you wanted.

[@ethantweeter4336]

A new Todd review, one I saw coming and it dropped on the week on my birthday thanks for the birthday gift

[@kyleiq1912]

it’s been so interesting to watch halsey’s star rise. i started listening to her back in 2014 when she had released her first ep and still had a tumblr account dedicated to harry styles lol, so i’ve been a little shook suddenly seeing/hearing her everywhere. i’m not a huge fan of her newer music, but without me does get in my head. that might be because my roommate plays it on repeat though 😂

[@ponygon777]

The first number one song of 2019, possibly a sign of things to come. I think "Royals" laid the foundation of today's pop music but Charlie Puth's "See you Again" basically changed the pop scene to what it is now. Lorde's second album was amazing. G-Eazy makes Vanilla Ice look like one of the Beastie Boys. "Colors" was a good song, Halsey should have released it before "New Americana" I agree with this review, outside of a good verser here and there, the song is too general and lacks the bite good break-up songs have.

[@jerrell1169]

For some reason you always come out with videos when I’m super sick, last year I had pneumonia and this year I have the flu. I’m now convinced Todd is causing me incredible sickness

[@tycad8990]

Funny enough, the reasons Todd gives for enjoying pop music are the same reasons I like bands like Slipknot and Slaughter to Prevail. Maybe the two (metal and bubblegum pop) have more in common than I ever thought lol.

[@greypaw101]

You know it’s really interesting that you point to lorde as the starting point! I always used tove lo and stay high when I explained the switch from party songs to “I hate parties and I’m tired”

[@kolbykauffman4180]

This review makes me really like Halsey, tbh. Snitches get stitches, sure. But this was a fair review that favors her place in the bridge between pop and alternative. $10 says she finds this on her own, bud.

[@BlackburnBigdragon]

To hear her trying to shoehorn herself into "Alternative Music" is just insulting. But then again, I've been out of the loop. I grew up when "Alternative Music" meant great bands like "The Cure", "The Smiths", "Wire", "Pigface", "Skinny Puppy", etc... To me, she sounds as pop as pop can get with her finely crafted, manufactured, autotuned, and seemingly perfectly, digitally constructed, songs written by engineers on some computer, in some studio.

[@radiofloyd2359]

Definitely...

[@ezramead5066]

I would argue that Halsey can still be considered "alternative". As someone who has always loved the alternative genre, I have a lot of opinions on what is and isn't alternative. The way I see it, because it is such a broad net to cast, alternative exists as a spectrum. On one end, you have alt rock, stuff that evolved from Nirvana and grunge, like Green Day, The Killers, Weezer, the stuff it seems like you like. In the middle, as the sound gets softer and less rock-y, you get (my favorite stuff growing up) bands like Vampire Weekend, Florence + the Machine, and Alt-J. Then you progress into the poppier side of alternative (which can also be called Indie Pop), where you find Lorde, Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey. (I'm trying to come up with one's you might know since a lot of it is very indie and obscure) (Also Billie is definitely alternative anti-pop, don't come for me if you've only heard "bad Guy," probably her poppiest song) Halsey fits into this pop end of the alternative spectrum, and while I agree "Without Me" is a pop song through and through, most of her music ("Bad at Love, "Heaven in Hiding," "Devil in Me") has the same alternative sensibilities that can be traced through the whole spectrum, and be called alternative. If you compare her catalog to ones like Ariana or Taylor or Katy, they are very different and that's how Halsey's indie cred can be attributed to her. And yes I copy-pasted most of this from another comment I made but it applies here and I wanted you to see it too.

[@RyanStorey1231]

Ezra Mead - I agree. I really think the confusion would be lessened if the term "alternative pop" was considered an official genre.

[@wadespencer3623]

Is Halsey in the comments here? Hi Halsey! Good luck on your career!

[@zom8979]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Billy Eilish

[@devlinburgess2463]

I have to say, I do kinda like the idea that Halsey and the modern pop landscape have entered the Rob Liefeld stage. I can't wait for the big follow up single, Bloodgun.

[@murciadoxial8056]

if things go down the way I expect them to, pop music will enter its todd mcfarlane period very soon

[@florida_mane6267]

Get ready for all the Eminem jokes

[@theblackbaron4119]

But it feels so empty without me :)

[@ToddKeck98]

Mam 's Spageti

[@florida_mane6267]

@@ToddKeck98 rape god XD

[@lobaetoile8440]

I have the impression that Halsey can actually write really well, but often makes the lyrics more generic or simple to fit the mainstream sound or maybe a more broad or relatable concept. I got that feeling after seeing some of her speeches, some poems and even the way she writes when she has sociopolitical discussions with people on Twitter... Some of her speeches are like theatrical monologues, making her statements into a narration that is engaging, emotional and pretty-sounding, despite the gravity of the topic. That really surprised me at first because of the negative things I had heard about her. So, I would say she is able to write and express herself in an eloquent way, when she has the time to prepare in advance and isn't being pressured... But it seems that, often, something is lost between the "writing on paper" and the "adjusting the word into lyrics for a song". I did enjoy her new album though.

[@AussieDragoon]

Now Todd retreats to his anti-Halsey shelter

[@dylan9025]

My coffee came out my nose at "Admiral Halsey"

[@riahlexington]

I died at Katniss or tank girl

[@MarcLucksch]

“42 original dragonball manga” I feel called out...

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

Don’t. There are forty-two volumes of that manga. That means you should totally own them, because they’re full of wisdom. 42 is the meaning of life.

[@MarcLucksch]

@@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770 Oh no, I totally own those. I just felt called out

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

@@MarcLucksch don't feel called out. There's forty-two volumes.

[@monadoboy9670]

I expected someone like Dan Bastille to respond to you, but not one of the biggest pop stars out currently.

[@PrinceofThessaly]

Still not as funny as when Mike Posner admitted to watching (probably) Todd in the shadows and making him write "Pill in Ibiza"...

[@murciadoxial8056]

@@PrinceofThessaly It will be funnier if halsey's next single is a diss track directed to todd and has a parody of todd in hte music video, that will be... surreal